Godzilla 2000: Extermination
by Firebomb525
Summary: It's been one year since Godzilla razed Tokyo to the ground. There have been no signs of him since. In that time span, the JSDF and CCI have worked in conjunction to strengthen their countermeasures, leading to the creation of a magnificent war-ship. However, they could never have predicted the awakening of two prehistoric monstrosities. My attempt to link the Millennium films.
1. Flashback

**Godzilla 2000:**

**Extermination**

**Flashback**

_Tokyo, 1999_

The hellish flames consumed everything they touched. Tokyo was on fire, and there wasn't a damn thing Japan could do about it. They just couldn't stop _him_. Tanks? Didn't even scratch him. Jets and helicopters? Just an annoyance to the beast. Not even the Full Metal Missiles, believed to be the strongest weapons Japan had, couldn't take him down. Now, all the world could do was watch as one of the most beautiful cities on Earth became Hell itself.

The one responsible for such death and destruction just stood there, eyeing his work, showing no emotion whatsoever. With a grunt, the beast trudged through the city, his bulk crashing into damaged buildings, finishing the job his ray of death had started. Finally, he stopped in front of a gigantic corpse. It sat, untouched by the flames. This was Orga, an alien creature who had tried to become the King of the Monsters. An attempt that was unsuccessful, as evidenced by the headless, charred, body. The radioactive creature eyed the corpse with hatred, before finally making a move. The jagged, violet spines on his back grew a bright red. As he opened his maw, a bright red beam flew out of his jaws and slammed into the hunk of flesh and bone. The corpse caught fire and exploded, showing the power of the atomic beam. Chunks of burning flesh flew into the air, splattering on the concrete below.

The nuclear menace ended the ray, and his spikes resumed their normal color. Wiping away a piece of Orga that had landed on his snout with his claw, the King turned around and headed towards the bay. Behind him lay the destroyed city of Tokyo, the fires caused by his demonic fury consumed the bodies of the dead and the buildings made by man.

As his foot touched the cool waters of the bay, he turned around one last time. Godzilla opened his mouth and unleashed one final, ferocious roar, letting all know it was he who unleashed his wrath on this place. And with that, the monster headed into Tokyo Bay, disappearing from view.

_Osaka, 1999_

The tape stopped as the body of the beast disappeared.

"Godzilla demolished Tokyo in a night. He is too dangerous to be left alive. I know some of you would like to study him, but he needs to be killed to save lives. Now, we at the CCI are open to some ideas on how to kill Godzilla." Shiro Miyasaka readjusted his glasses and eyed the people sitting at the table. He nodded to his old friend, Yuji Shinoda, but all he received was a disappointed frown.

Everyone was silent, until a aging man stood up. Shiro nodded his head, giving the potential speaker permission to talk.

"Mr. Miyasaka, I'd like to talk to you about something called the 'Dimension Tide'."


	2. New Toy

**New Toy  
**

_Osaka, 2000_

The beautiful rising sun peeked out from behind the dull gray clouds, teasing the world with its light. Tokyo was still under construction, the majority of it had been destroyed in the confrontation between Godzilla and the unknown monster, dubbed "Orga" due to its unique genetic makeup. The reconstruction period was long and harsh, an agonizing time for any citizen of the once amazing city of Tokyo. So, Osaka was made to be the new temporary capital of Japan, at least until Tokyo could be properly repaired.

But, many people managed to make their way through. They were the lucky ones. And some others were quite unfortunate. Yuji Shinoda, director of the GPN (Godzilla Prediction Network), was one of the lucky ones. He and his daughter, Io, managed to make it out of the burning city alive. He was regarded as a sort of hero, people admiring his attempts to discover the alien's true intentions. However, his popularity began to fade out of existence, and he was again regarded as that "Crazy Godzilla Guy". It suited him, as he wasn't much for fame anyway. The scientist still aided the CCI every now and then, giving them his opinion on the matters in which they discussed. However, he made it quite clear he would _not _help them kill Godzilla.

And, because of his connection with the CCI, led by his friend and partner Shiro Miyazaka, he was now driving towards the CCI HQ quite early in the morning. Yawning, his eyes grew heavy as he drove down the empty road. He wished he could be asleep in his comfortable bed, much like everyone else in Japan. Instead, he was called down to examine some sort of new technology the CCI had been developing. Frankly, he knew it had to do with Godzilla, because if it didn't, he would still be at home.

He sighed in relief as he pulled up into the parking lot and parked the GPN van. He got out of the van, locked it up, and took a step back. Io had said the vehicle was hideous, and he was starting to think she was right. Dirt, mud, and who knows what was clinging to the hood and

the side, and the birds had left numerous presents for him on the window. Dents in the metal were everywhere, and tiny cuts and gashes were plentiful. He shook his head, disappointed at his failure to observe these flaws.

"You're getting old, friend. Io will take care of you." A cool wind swept through the area and bit into Shinoda, causing his teeth to chatter and him to grasp his shoulders in a futile effort to protect himself from the freezing winds.

"I _hate _winter," he grumbled to himself. He turned towards the temporary CCI HQ, and headed inside. The air inside felt heavenly, instantly warming his shivering body.

"Note to self: Do not wear short-sleeve shirts anytime after August." The woman at the desk looked up from her piles of paperwork and smiled, before standing up and greeting the casually dressed man.

"Ah, Mr. Shinoda, I presume?" The professor nodded, feeling slightly out of place. Everyone here was dressed up in expensive-looking suits and slacks, while he was wearing cargo pants and some old, stained dress shirt he had found in the closet. Some impression he was making.

"Sir, would you follow me, please?" The woman, who must've been in her twenties, lead him through a maze of hallways and doors, and the scientist soon began to wonder exactly where she was taking him.

"Miss, are you sure you know-"

"Here we are," she cheerfully exclaimed. Shinoda blinked for a moment, and then closed his mouth. They had stopped in front of an elevator, which seemed well out of the way of anyone who worked here or happened to be visiting.

"Just go inside. No need to press a button." She waved at him, swinging her hand around like a giddy schoolgirl before turning around and walking back to the front of the building. Yuji stepped inside of the elevator and nearly had a heart attack as the doors swiftly slammed shut, locking him inside.

"What the hell!?" He lost his balance and tumbled to the ground as the elevator began its descent, traveling at an uncomfortable pace. Before Shinoda could lose his breakfast, the elevator abruptly stopped, sending him crashing into the padded wall. He fell backwards onto his bottom and groaned, rubbing his head.

"They never had this last time." He tried to rearrange his messy hair, trying to make himself at least presentable. Suddenly, the doors opened and light shined into the dimly lit room.

"Ah, Shinoda. Good to see you again." A man stood outside the elevator in a ghostly white lab coat. He readjusted his glasses and grinned as Shinoda recognized who he was.

"Miyazaka!" The two reunited partners shook hands and exchanged words.

"Glad to see you're alright. How is Io?"

"She's great. She's spending some time with her aunt in Kumamoto."

"Ah, I see. Anyway, let's get to the point," Miyazaka said while he began to walk away through the corridors, Shinoda in tow," I brought you here because you are an essential part to studying Godzilla and helping us… prevent any more attacks. We need your advice on some matters, and instead of sending you a picture, we thought it'd be best if you saw it with your own two eyes."

Miyazaka stopped in front of two larges doors and entered a pass code into the console nearby. A _click _was heard, and the doors slid open. Reluctantly, Yuji stepped through the two doors, and his mouth literally dropped at what sat before him.

A humongous machine stood before him, a ship made of steel. It looked like some kind of spaceship from a sci-fi movie. The thing was huge, at least 100 meters or more in length. All the engineers and scientists were like ants to this ship. The bow was basically a huge blade, serrated and ready to slice through anything. On either side of the ship were huge cannons, ominous humming, and a yellow light could barely be seen. Along with these dangerous weapons, numerous holes were lined up along the side of the ship, each containing a homing missile ready to bury itself in its target. The most frightening thing about the ship, however, was the immense weapon attached to the bottom. Mechanics scrambled about under it, sparks flying about as they worked to finish up the battleship.

"What…what is it?" Shinoda was in awe at the sight of the ship, never before seeing anything like it.

"This…_this _is the result of our year-long effort. _This_ is the ultimate defense weapon against any monster attack. _This_, Shinoda, is the Karyu." Miyazaka stepped forward, soaking up the beauty of his creation.

"120 meters in length, 30 meters in height, and weighs 7,500 tons. It is comprised of an alloy dubbed NT-1, one of the strongest metals on Earth, and it is coated with diamond plating. The "Kaiju Cutter" can slice through anything, whether it be buildings or flesh. It is able to be charged with electrical energy, delivering quite the nasty shock. Twin Electronic Particles cannons rest on each side, and eight Full Metal Missiles are ready for action, able to go through anything like crap through a goose."

"I know you're wondering, 'What is that thing on the bottom, Miyazaka?'. Well, that happens to be the Karyu's secret weapon, the Dimension Tide. The Dimension Tide is basically a gigantic gun that will make Godzilla piss his pants. See, whenever the overgrown lizard fires his ray at the Karyu, the armor will soak in the energy. The plasma energy will then be transferred to the D.T. Now, whenever enough energy has been absorbed, the Karyu can fire out a beam comprised of plasma and electrical energy. To be blunt, this thing _will _take out Godzilla or any other monster stupid enough to try and mess with we humans."

"How did you obtain the funding? Where did you get all of these materials and weapons? Did the government allow you to build this?" The brain behind Project Karyu chuckled as his friend assaulted him with numerous questions.

"We have our ways, Shinoda."

"Whatever. Why did you ask that I come here? Your little toy is wonderful, yes, but surely there is some other reason as to why I am here. "

"Your knowledge of kaiju is exactly what we need to help analyze, discover weaknesses, and then destroy attacking monsters. Besides, it pays well. So, what do you say? Deal? Or no deal?" Frowning, Yuji took a look around. He couldn't believe Miyazaka accomplished all of this. He thought that Shiro was like him, in a way. But, he had turned into a clone of his predecessor. Disgusted by the very thought of having to kill Godzilla, he shook his head. Yet, the idea of all that money slipping into his hands…

"I'll have to think about it. I'll see you later."

"Alright, Shinoda. You think about this opportunity of a lifetime. We'll keep in touch." And with that, Yuji walked back through the brightly lit corridor, his head a tornado of thoughts.


	3. Hunger Pains

**Hunger Pains**

_Kitamatsu Village, 2000_

"Are you sure we're allowed in here?" Two figures, both 20-something Americans, stood at the opening of a dark and ominous shaft. The man who had spoken rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. He was a tad chubby, Hispanic, with black unkempt hair and an equally messy mustache. His eyes darted from the entrance, then back to his friend. His plain white undershirt was soaked with sweat and his blue jeans were dirtied from the hike up to this out-of-the-way location, and he wasn't too fond of being the pack mule. The backpack was a hell of a weight. His friend looked at him and grinned.

"Of course, Tony. I don't see a sign that says we can't just take a look."

"You can barely read Japanese," Tony replied, shaking his head. The Caucasian rolled his eyes and scratched his head, ridding himself of an irritating itch. He was of average built, not quite as big as Tony. He was clean-shaven with brown hair, spiked in the front. His striped red and white polo shirt with sweat, but he definitely wished he had worn jeans instead of khaki shorts. His legs wouldn't be getting mauled by insects if he had.

"Robert, you sure that guy's information was legit? He looked like a senile kind of dude."

"I'm pretty sure he was more of a 'Yoda' sort of man. He told me that this used to be some sort of coal shaft and he used to work here. He said there were a bunch of gems down there." Robert took a step forward, crouching to get a better look inside the maw of the shaft.

"Rob, he's probably full of shit. You paid him and he made it all up."

"Well, we won't know until we try. Besides, we might find some old relics or something. It'll be cool."

"You're a real geek, you know that? That's why you don't get any coño." Tony grinned as Robert frowned and shook his head.

"You're a real charmer. Now get in there." Tony chuckled as he took out a flashlight from the backpack and turned it on. The beam of light cut through the darkness and blazed them a path. All they could see so far was wooden supports and rocks.

"Such wonderful treasure," Tony stated sarcastically as he made pushed forward, Robert right behind rolling his eyes.

"I'm not seeing anything of value, Rob. So far, we've come across old mining equipment and bat crap…or whatever the hell that stuff was," Tony proclaimed, rubbing his boot against a rock wall, leaving a gooey white residue on it.

"I don't understand…I thought for sure we'd have found something. This place is pretty straightforward."

"You got duped man. You're too trusting. You lost your cash and wasted our time. I could be in that bar right now putting the moves on some fine girls instead of rummaging around in the dark!" Robert said nothing, his hope fading away much like their daylight. The two frustrated companions continued forth until they reached a dead end.

"Oh, this is just great! Just great!" Tony cursed their lucky profusely while Robert grabbed the flashlight and studied the wall. It seemed…different then the rocky and jagged build of the walls in the tunnel. This seemed so smooth. Not to mention it was what appeared to be a glossy jet black. It was odd and it puzzled the American. He set the flashlight down, still allowing the light to illuminate the smooth barricade. He scanned the ground and set his gaze on a medium-sized rock that may have once been part of the ceiling until its unfortunate fall. He heaved it upwards, grunting and readjusted his grip on it.

"Rob, what're you doing," Tony questioned, eyeing his friend suspiciously. His inquiry was soon answered as Robert slammed the rock into the anomaly, the impact of the two shaking his body to the core. The black wall splintered then shattered violently, as if it were some mirror. Robert dropped the rock and murmured something as he wiped his hands on his shorts. Trickles of blood began to seep out of minor cuts on his palms. The stone he had used as his own personal battering ram hadn't been as nice to handle as he had hoped.

"Nice going, bro!" Tony slapped him on the back as a way of congratulating his ingenuity, but it hurt like hell more than anything. He followed Tony, who had taken point wielding the flashlight. He swung it around, and gasped in shock.

The two had walked right into some sort of chamber. The place was gigantic, and would easily fit a dozen buses. There was no sign of any antique mining equipment, or any sign that anyone had even been here. A disgusting aroma was immediately detectable and the two were forced to cover up their noses. The two split up to further investigate the mysterious and eerie chamber, with Robert wielding the flashlight and Tony manipulating his phone to give off some, if not weak, light.

The taller of the two, Robert, strode up to one of the walls of the chamber, which had been covered in that same glossy material as the entrance was. He squinted, his eyes trying to see through the near-suffocating darkness. Something caught his attention. He brought the light up to get a better look.

"The hell is this," he whispered. As best as he could describe it, it looked like some sort of pod of sorts. It was a jet black, easily blending in with the chamber walls. The pod appeared to have been torn open from the inside, a fact that sent a shiver rocketing down Robert's spine. Strange dark green liquid dripped from the interior and Robert backed up, raising his flashlight as he did. His mouth gaped open as he saw more pods. Dozens of them. Each one as destroyed as the first.

"What the hell? Tony, listen, we need to get outta here-"His sentence was cut off as his friend yelled out in agony. Robert spun about, the light from his flashlight darting around, yet his friend was nowhere to be seen. One shred of evidence remained, however. The dim phone lay on the dusty ground in the center of the chamber. The panicking American ran towards it but immediately stopped before he too dropped into the pitfall that was now visible. It looked like quite the drop for someone to take. He looked down and saw his friend lying on the floor, his left leg placed at an awkward angle. Tony groaned and shook his head, ridding himself of the stars in his mind.

"Tony! Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I can…agh, my leg," Tony groaned, grimacing as he attempted to move his leg. He had been walked across the chamber when the ground had collapsed and he fell through the floor. He wasn't sure how bad the damage was to his leg, but all he knew was that it hurt like hell.

"My leg is messed up Rob! It hurts like crazy!" Tony cursed as he once again tried to move it, realizing it was futile at this point to even try. He was about to tell Robert to go ahead and get some help when he heard a clicking noise. He froze, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He scanned his surroundings, trying to uncover the source of the noise. More clicking soon followed, growing louder every passing second.

"What's that noise?"

"I don't know!" Tony struggled once again to get up, or at least do something to get out of his predicament, but he let out a cry of pain and quickly stopped his efforts. A low hissing reached his ears. The stench of something rotten, akin to vomit reached his nostrils.

"Robert! There's something do-"Tony stopped what he was saying. His eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down, the spotlight directly on him. He let out a choked yelp as he saw a bronze blade protruding from his stomach. Dark red liquid seeped from his wound and he let out a cough, splattering his own blood upon his shirt. The owner of this appendage twisted and shoved it in deeper, completely impaling Tony.

"Tony! No!" Tony looked up at his best friend and mouthed the words 'Help me' before another serrated appendage decapitated him swiftly and brutally. His body was quickly dragged off into the darkness, the clicking mixing with the tearing of flesh.

"Oh God no! No no no!" Robert walked backwards, his face a mask of horror and disgust. He bent over and released a stream of vomit. He felt sick to his stomach. His best friend was just…slaughtered right in front of him. He was dazed, confused. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt and looked back at the hole. The clicking grew more intense and he stared, petrified with fear as a bronze blade-like limb swung over the edge. Then another. The creature paused before pulling itself up.

Robert first noticed the eyes, vibrant green eyes that glowed in the darkness. Dozens of them each like a miniature mirror that reflected Robert's own terrified figure. The bug was the biggest Robert had ever seen. Blood droplets stained its brown, jagged carapace, and its sword-like forearms were still scarlet with Tony's blood. It opened its mouth, dagger-like teeth glinting in the light provided by Robert, a shred of flesh jammed in between two of the fangs. It cocked its head to the side, studying the human for a moment before releasing a bone-chilling screech as it leaped out of the hole. Robert needed no further warning as he abruptly turned around and sped off as fast as his legs could take him, the insect hot in pursuit. As the predator sped after its human prey, the chamber was silent for the moment. Suddenly, more clicking and hissing emanated from the hole in the floor. A bladed forearm stabbed into the earth, followed by another. And another as several more of the giant insects began to pour out of the hole.

The Meganulon had awoken. And they were hungry.


	4. The Hunt

**The Hunt**

_Kitamatsu Village, 2000_

"_It has been over a year since the decimation of Tokyo, and there have still been no signs of the monster known as-"_The television flickered off and the owner of the remote slumped back on the couch. Io sighed and stared off at the blank set. She had grown so much in only a year's time. She was taller and slimmer now, looking more like a young woman than a little girl. Ditching the pigtails, she opted for a ponytail as she reluctantly went with her aunt's desire, which was to make her 'girlier' instead of the techno geek she truly was. The destruction of the city began to replay in her head once again, memories that would not fade away. Memories of the waves of fire that swept the street, the agonizing cries of the dying, and the nauseating scent of the corpse of the alien creature. She had stared the cause of it all directly in the eyes, eyes full of hate and rage. And she watched as the behemoth murdered Mr. Katagiri right in front of her.

"Io! What're you doing?" The question snapped her out of her flashback, and she turned around to face her aunt. Her aunt was a thin lady, with long shimmering black hair. She was several years younger than Io's father, and very much a polar opposite. While Yuji was a computer savvy, recluse, Misato was much more social and spent more time out shopping and with friends then at home.

"Err, nothing Aunt Misato."

"Nothing? Well we can't have that! You can't just be sitting around watching TV and messing with your toys!"

"Those aren't toys. They're high-tech devices that-"

"Oh shush. Come, let's go for a walk! It'll be fun!" Misato ignored Io's groan of protest, but she knew she had won. The two quickly changed into more appropriate walking attire instead of pajamas. Finally, equipped with some athletic shorts and a tank top, Misato was ready. Io went a bit more conservative, with longer jogging pants and a regular old t-shirt.

"Guys like a girl whose fit," Misato teased, flexing her arms as Io rolled her eyes.

"Let's just get going," Io stated, already losing her patience. Misato nodded and the two left the small home.

The sky was a dull gray, the sun having a hard time peeking through the thick clouds that seemed to be everywhere. The dreary weather was a sign of the approaching winter months that lay ahead. Surprisingly, it was still warm outside, enough that Io was beginning to regret her choice of jogging pants. The aunt and niece strolled away from the house, and into a pathway that led through a patch of woods. Her aunt had believed being near nature would bring inner peace or something like that. Ironic considering her aunt couldn't stay from her cell phone for more than an hour. Technology must run through the blood.

"So, how do you like it here, Io?"

"It's alright," she replied dully. Frankly, she hated it here. She enjoyed living in the city, the sounds of traffic and people much more welcoming then the silence of rural life that seemed to fill this village.

"I see…so, have any friends back home?"

"No." Misato frowned. What had Yuji done to her poor niece? She was such a recluse! How could she not have any friends while Misato was such a social butterfly?

"Why not, Io?"

"Not much of a people person." And it was true, to be honest. Io never cared much for large crowds or classrooms full of idiotic children and imbecile teachers who thought they knew what they were talking about. Her father was a smarter man then any of the teachers she had ever had.

"I see," Misato replied, disappointed in the way Io was. She eyed her niece as they walked, trying to study her emotions. She wondered if this antisocial behavior was due to what had happened to her mother. She quickly eliminated the thought from her head. Some things are better not to bring up.

"So…how do you like being a part of the Godzilla Lookout thing?"

"It's called the 'Godzilla Prediction Network'," Io replied, rolling her eyes, "And I enjoy it very much. My father and I do quite a bit for Japan. It's not easy predicting where a giant monster will make landfall, but we get the job done. Though, he hasn't shown up in a long time." Her voice trailed off. Godzilla hadn't made an appearance in a year. No Godzilla means nobody needed their unique expertise. Due to this, their once steady trickle of income had run dry. Her father Yuji had to take odd jobs to support everything. He would eventually send her down to reside with her aunt for the winter, which she suspected was to try and fix everything. She sighed, heart heavy. She missed him, even if he couldn't pay the bills or make a half-decent sandwich. He was her father, and that's all that mattered.

They had made quite some distance from her aunt's house and neither spoke a word. Io enjoyed the silence for once, never having much of a connection with her aunt.

"I wonder what ever happened to those two men we saw," Io wondered out loud. They had stopped by asking for some directions to some sort of old mine shaft. Misato had directed them farther away from the village, into the woods. She knew the area better then Io did, that was certain.

"Hmm, yes. The Americans. I'm not sure. Perhaps they found their treasure."

"Do you think there was actually treasure, Aunt Misato?" Her aunt shrugged and shook her head. Frankly, she thought the two must have been insane to listen to some old man looking for a couple of bucks and believe there was something of value in a dark, dirty cave.

"I think they were quite foolish to believe such a tale. But, not our problem," she replied, grinning devilishly. Io cracked a smile as well. Perhaps her aunt wasn't so bad after all.

"Help!" Io and her aunt froze in their tracks as the cry for aid reached their ears. They made eye contact, unnerved by the turn of events. Leaves crackled as something ran directly at them. Misato stood in front of Io, confident that whoever the owner of the yell was coming from the right. The trees were close together, with thick bushes growing underneath them. It was extremely difficult to see anything through such an untamed mess.

Robert burst through the line of bushes, tripping and rolling onto the dirty path. Misato and Io gasped in alarm and took a step back. The man was breathing hard, his clothes torn and numerous cuts adorning his body. He groaned and struggled to his feet. He expressed a look of hope as he saw the two, but that quickly turned into one of fear.

"Thank God you two are here! Listen, we gotta go! This thing is chasing me! It killed my friend!" He grabbed a hold of Misato, who quickly shirked away.

"Get your hands off me. If this is some kind of prank, I swear I will hit you so hard in the-"

"Aunt Misato, be quiet and listen!" Her aunt glared at her, about to say something when she too heard what her niece and the seemingly crazy man had picked up. It was a clicking noise that grew louder with every second. Robert looked around nervously, obviously very afraid.

"We need to go…now," he whispered frantically. Misato frowned and took a step forward, a can of pepper spray in her hand which she had smuggled in her shorts. She didn't trust this guy. She figured he was some kind of pervert and this was some sort of elaborate scheme to violate her and her niece. Well she wasn't having that. She was going to spray his 'dead' friend then take care of that buffoon behind them.

_Foodfoodfood. Where is it? Here? There? Foodfoodfood!_

The creature hissed as it sped along the trail. Its prey had blindsided it with a branch and slowed it down, having cracked one of its legs. But the Meganulon did not care. Pain was irrelevant. It needed to eat. That was all that mattered. Its mandibles clicked together as its head darted to and fro, dozens of eyes scanning the environment. It shrieked as it saw the footprints in the muck, smelt the blood of food. It rushed forth, following the trail laid out by its prey. Shreds of cloth and spots of blood were all the evidence the large insect needed to crawl even faster. A line of bushes lay ahead and the scent of its prey grew even stronger. In fact, there were more of them! With a hiss that shifted into a horrifying scream, the bronze Meganulon leaped forth through the wall of bushes.

_Food!_

The three had no time to react. The mass of flesh and armor sliced through the bushes and collided with Misato. She opened her mouth to scream but any sound was quickly prevented from coming out as the Meganulon tore into her throat with its knife-like fangs. Io stood let out a choked cry as she saw her aunt being brutally mauled. Robert, on the other hand, yelled in rage as he saw the insect, the same one that had been chasing, attack an innocent woman. He bent over and picked up a stick that had been thrown out into the road by the creature's eruption from the forest. He ran over to the attacking bug and raised the stick upwards. The Meganulon stopped momentarily, and looked up at Robert, hissing. This threatening gesture soon turned into a squeal of pain as Robert lodged the stick directly in its right group of compound eyes. Robert grunted with exertion as he put all of his strength into pushing down the stick. The Meganulon attempted to fight back, but a deft kick to its side sent it rolling over onto the ground. Robert readjusted his position, and removed the improvised weapon, only to bring it down once again right in the center freak of a bug's head. With a shudder, the bug's creepy green eyes dimmed and it twisted into a ball, before permanently staying still. Robert ripped the stick out of the carcass, sending purple globs of blood and something else splattering everywhere. He dropped the stick and whimpered before voiding his stomach onto the ground.

Io sobbed as she ran towards her aunt, whose entire neck and chest area was a mess. Her clothes were soaked with her own blood. She whimpered as she looked up at her niece, lightly gripping her hand. Tears ran down Io's face as she held her aunt's hand.

"…Love you…love you…" Misato spat out those words as she began to fade away, choking on her own blood. She rubbed Io's cheek with the back of her hand before it fell to the side, and remained there. One last gasp for oxygen before Misato was no longer among the living. Io's sorrowful cries filled the trail as Robert strode over to the girl. He opened his mouth to say something but he didn't know exactly what to blurt out. The girl had just lost her relative to a huge insect, the biggest Robert had ever seen. He closed his mouth and knelt down and did the only thing he could think of; He held her tightly as she cried on his shoulder. His eyes watered up as well, and the two shed tears for the ones that had been lost that day.

_Tokyo, 2000_

Yuji yawned, stretching his arms as he put aside the paperwork he had been studying. The day had been uneventful, the absence of Io painstakingly evident. The home of the Shinodas, as well as the headquarters of the GPN, was, quite frankly, a mess. Papers were strewn about, jackets were thrown over furniture, and the food was still lying out, half eaten. Not to mention the funky smell that was coming from the restroom. The GPN hadn't been doing well as of late, due to the absence of the nuclear menace known as Godzilla. Shinoda's team had quit, and he was the sole member of the GPN, not counting Io. As the months went by since Godzilla's last sighting, which was after the monster had conquered the alien dubbed Orga and razed a chunk of Tokyo to the ground, the GPN was no longer asked for information regarding his location. Japan had settled into a sense of security, confident that Godzilla would no longer bother them. Yuji did not rest as easy as his fellow countrymen, and neither did the CCI.

Yuji reclined backwards in his leather office chair and stared at the ceiling. He was in dire financial straits, and the offer lent to him by Miyasaka. That offer of cash was growing extremely attractive by the moment…

"Oh, damn it all," he groaned, burying his head in his hands. He thought about getting himself a beer. A few sips might calm him down. But, this plan was swiftly scrapped as the phone began to ring. Reaching over, Shinoda quickly picked it up and brought it up to his face. The voice on the other line was one he knew very well, and yet, the voice sounded distressed, scared.

"Io? What's the matter?" A minute later, Shinoda's eyes widened and his grip on the phone weakened, dropping the handset to the floor.

_East China Sea, 2000_

The creature lay deep under the sea, resting upon the ocean floor. No other animal dared to get near the beast as he slept. Bubbles of air ascended with every breath the reptile took. The monster was a forest green, with rough scales and spires of rosy-tinted bones that ran down the length of his back. A long tail lazily swept from side to side. Claws adorned each muscled limb, sparking a sense of dread in all who looked at him. Fangs jutted out from the ferocious looking maw of the beast. It was a peaceful scene, if one ignored the fact that this sleeping being, this giant among beings, was the nuclear leviathan known as Godzilla.

Godzilla slowly opened his eyes and turned his reptilian head, peering around for any signs of danger. Opening his mouth and releasing a roar unheard by the world, he raised himself up onto his hind legs and pushed off, using his club-like tail to swim through the waters much like a crocodile. A very large, deadly, and radioactive crocodile.

Godzilla's energy reserves had almost been drained dry over the past year. The confrontation with the alien foe had been a tough one, to say the least. Unleashing his fury upon the irritating insects and their city didn't help matters. Resting helped conserve his power, but it did not replenish it. Placed with the situation, Godzilla did what he had done before in the past: Recharge.

And he knew exactly where to go as he cut through the water, heading towards the land of the rising sun.


	5. Landfall

**Landfall**

_CCI HQ, Osaka, 2000_

"That is one hideous thing," Yuki mused as her camera flashed and clicked, capturing the corpse of the Meganulon on film. Ever since Godzilla's attack on Tokyo, she had decided to go freelancer. Her old job was full of sexist pigs anyway. Good riddance.

_Not anymore_, she thought. She had hit her big break taking photographs of Godzilla during his fiery assault on Tokyo. Though a tad morbid, it put into perspective of the power of the beast. She sold the photos to the highest bidder and quit her job, deciding to go freelancer and take pictures of whatever the hell she wanted to. No more being assigned the boring and dull assignments.

She kept in touch with Yuji and his daughter Io, however. After experiencing such a disaster with them, it was hard not to. The Shinodas were a bit quirky, yes, but they had evolved into friends that Yuki could never think of replacing. Not to mention Yuji always called her up when he had something of interest for her.

Discovering the corpse of a murderous insect certainly fit the bill.

"Thanks again, Yuji. This should fetch quite a price," she said, grinning as she placed her camera back in its case. Yuji looked up at her, breaking his trance. He wiped his eye, ridding himself of what Yuki thought for sure was a tear. She frowned, cursing herself for not understanding what he had just been through. That giant bug had killed his sister, right in front of his daughter's eyes! Her stomach turned as she imagined being in his shoes at the moment. Yuki placed a hand on Yuji's shoulder, attempting to comfort him, unsure of what to say.

"Those pictures cannot be released as of now, Ms. Ichinose." Shiro Miyasaka strode in, flanked by a couple of scientists who went to different stations. For the most part, the room was your basic lab. An operating table in the center, with all sorts of tools and electronic equipment spread around. Yuji and Yuki were out of the way in the corner of the laboratory.

"What! Why not?"

"Because, Ms. Ichinose, we do not want to panic anyone. This creature killed two people," he stated, glancing at Yuji who dropped his head down once again. Miyasaka's face expressed grief, before continuing, "and we do not want widespread chaos in Kitamatsu, especially when we don't know what we're dealing with here. The last thing we need is for a bunch of idiot villagers running around with pitchforks. Keep the pictures for now. Once we've taken care of this, you may do with them what you want." Realizing he was right for the most part, Yuki nodded reluctantly.

"Now, if you would please leave, we have some business to attend to."

"Yeah, yeah." Yuki waved to Yuji as she walked towards the exit, who smiled at her.

"Can you check up on Io for me? I think she's still with the American in the waiting area." Yuki gave him a thumbs-up and smiled.

"Of course, Yuji." She walked out of the lab, the door sliding shut and leaving two old-college friends to analyze the anomaly.

"So, what're you thinking, Yuji?" The GPN founder stood up, and grimaced as his legs had fallen asleep due to his prolonged sitting. Tiny needles poked him as he walked over to join his friend by the insect.

"Well, it looks like a bug."

"Real funny. I'm serious." Shinoda smiled, and then looked over at the insect. It was hard to crack a joke, a terrible one at that, in a time of such grief. But it was how Yuji dealt with grief. Focus on the happy and fun things in life, and not on the tragedies and pain.

"It's certainly not any kind of insect I've ever seen or heard about. No radioactivity to be found, so it's not a mutant of any kind. So, I do what I do best: Research." Yuji turned on his heel and went back for a green folder that Shiro had failed to observe. With it in hand, Yuji came back to the center of the room and placed the folder on the table. Opening it, he slid out a photo into clear view. Shiro raised his eyebrow, not completely sure if he was reading the caption right.

"Meganulon monyi. Largest insect ever known." The fossil pictured was almost an exact replica of the corpse that lay before them, minus the armor and flesh and all that good stuff.

"You seriously think this is a possibility?"

"Well, yeah. Pieces seem to fit, and frankly, nothing seems too out of the way when you have a radioactive dinosaur swimming about." Yuji smirked and scratched his chin. Shiro simply shrugged and shook his head.

"But what is bothersome is this…" Yuji slid out another photograph, this time of a much larger, airborne insect fossil, one that looked very much like a dragonfly.

"Meganula," Yuji stated, pointing at the picture, "are what paleontologists believe to be the next step in the Meganulon life cycle."

"Wait, Yuji. You're telling me these things get bigger?"

_Kitamatsu Village, 2000_

The Meganulon dragged the half-eaten deer carcass into the gigantic chamber, where the rest of its kind gorged on the flesh of other killed animals, some even feasting on a couple of humans. This was the Meganulon way. Kill swiftly and bring the food back to the nest, where they would all consume and store energy.

The Meganulon swiftly finished devouring the corpses and discarded them. Then, as their ancestors had done before them, they clambered onto the walls and through the nooks and crannies of the chamber, spewing a thick, black oil covered substance upon themselves. They clicked in unison as the material hardened, forming a cocoon. The hive began to rest inside the cold comforting interiors of their temporary home. And it was there that the transformation would take place.

He didn't even know why he was here. A top-of-the-line headquarters with advanced technology and experienced personnel all equipped to handle giant monster attacks and he was stuck right in the middle of it all. Was it fate? Or just a simple coincidence? Either way, Robert had been having a downright terrible day. The girl known as Io had walked away to talk with a very pretty Japanese woman. Any other day, Robert would've drooled and stared lustfully, pondering his chances. But as of now, he was too busy silently mourning the loss of his best friend.

"Io…I'm so sorry about what happened." Yuki placed a comforting hand upon the young girl's shoulder. Her shirt was wet with her tears and she rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of ones that were about to fall. She released a quivering sigh and nodded her head.

"I'll be fine…" Yuki frowned. It was so unnerving to see Io in such a depressed state. In a way, she sort of missed the girl's sarcastic remarks and insults. At least it showed she was normal. She quickly decided to change the subject, hoping to avoid making any more references to the passing of her aunt.

"So, who's that guy," Yuki questioned, throwing a thumb towards the seated American.

"He was there when it happened…he killed the thing." Io restrained her emotions from overflowing and breaking down as she gave Yuki the information. She excused herself, babbling about needing to wash her face and quickly made her way to the restroom, her face already becoming wet with tears. Yuki began to say something, but she quickly closed her mouth. She thought it was best to leave Yuki to her mourning. In the meantime, she thought she'd introduce herself to Io's companion. She took a seat beside the American.

"Hello. I'm a friend of Io's. We haven't been acquainted yet. I'm Yuki Ichinose, freelance photographer. And you are?"

"Robert Kennedy," he began, scratching his head," and no, I'm not a clone of the deceased senator, in case you were thinking that. Dad was just a big fan of his."

"I see. Pleasure to meet you, Robert." Yuki offered her hand out, which Robert gently shook.

"Thank you for helping Io out. If you hadn't been there-"Robert's face grimaced as she mentioned what had happened.

"Then maybe nobody would've gotten killed. It was my fault. My friend and Io's aunt are dead because of me. I led my friend into that stupid shaft and I led that _thing_ to Io and her aunt. I'm no hero," he exclaimed, shaking his head and gripping the seat. The tons of guilt had once again slammed down onto his shoulders, bringing him down. Yuki sighed and patted him on the arm.

"Look, you had no idea what was down there. You all were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Misato included. You saved Io's life. You can be proud of that." Robert glanced at her, finding her words uplifting in a way. He nodded his head and exhaled, releasing some of his pent up stress.

"Thanks, Ms. Ichinose."

"Oh, stop. Call me Yuki. I don't think I look that old, do I?

"No, you look great", Robert replied, before realizing what he had just stated may have come a tad creepy, and quickly tried to sputter out a correction, "I mean, you don't look old. At all. I'll call you Yuki, no problem.

"Thank you," the photographer replied, raising an eyebrow at his response, which was flattering, yet a bit inappropriate. She waved it off, and continued with her conversation, focusing on a topic that would surely provide some interesting information," So, Robert, you are from New York, correct?"

"That's right."

"Good. Were you there in 1998, when the monster dubbed 'Zilla' attacked?"

"Yes, I was actually," he responded, sitting up in the lounge chair.

"Would you mind telling me about it? Little information was leaked over here."

"Of course," Robert answered. "Now, there I was-"He never would finish the story, as ear-pounding screech filled the air as red lights flashed on and off.

"What the hell is that, Yuki?"

"I don't know…an alarm, I think. But for what?" Io walked out of the restroom, a mixture of fear and excitement etched upon her face. She mouthed one, and only word to Yuki, whose eyes widened in horror.

"We need to exterminate these things, Yuji. I was wrong to not order a complete search of the area!" Shiro ran his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated. The specimen's lifeless eyes stared back at him, while Yuji studied the photos. Their time in the lab would soon come to an end as a shrieking filled the air.

"Now what!" A middle-aged man ran into the room, panting. A headset was still sitting on his head.

"Mr. Miyasaka! It's him! We found him! He's in the East China Sea, heading straight towards Kumamoto!" Yuji nearly spit out his soup as he looked up in shock at the news. Shiro merely grinned devilishly, eager for another go at the big lizard.

"Alert the JSDF and ready the Karyu. Godzilla's in for a nasty surprise."

_Mt. Aso, Kumamoto, 2000_

_Where am I?_

The beast's eyes slowly opened. Scarlet orbs drowsily peered about. The creature was encased in a rock tomb, brown stone making up the prison. The gurgling of lava could be heard, its intense heat providing comforting warmth to the monster. Snapping out of his daze, the monster cawed in confusion, before registering he was trapped. With a roar of anger, the beast struck out with his rust-colored wings, easily cracking through the rock wall. A rain of stones pummeled the beast, but the gigantic animal did not pay any heed. With no support, the mighty monster hovered above the large lava pit that bubbled below him.

_How did I get here?_

The blue membrane of the flying brute's wings flexed as they worked to keep their owner in flight. Looking upwards, his golden beak leading the way, the entity quickly worked out what must be done with an almost human-like intelligence. Flapping his mighty wings, the reptilian monster shot upwards, cutting through the layer of earth with his beak like a hot knife through butter. A spiked plate of armor covered his chest and legs, providing ample protection. Talons lay upon his feet and hands, scraping away rock and other debris.

With a roar, Rodan burst from Mt. Aso, leaving a gigantic crater in his wake. Flora and fauna alike were swept away as the prehistoric monster's wings flapped and released devastating winds. Rodan scanned his surroundings, confused and slightly scared.

_Where am I?_

Rodan sensed a presence much like his own and turned around. Could it be the one he had hunted so long ago? He opened his beak, showing off his rows of dagger-like teeth and released a scream of anger. If it was, his foe would have hell to be. Rodan jetted off, leaving behind hurricane-like winds to play with the tree and animals. His destination was what the humans would call Kumamoto. And it was there he hoped he would find his prey.

_Outskirts of Kumamoto, 2000_

The house was crushed beneath the behemoth's clawed foot. Dark green, uneven scales covered the limb, and if one looked up, one would find much of the same covering the furious monstrosity's body. A thick tail rose up and smashed into another group of houses. People screamed in horror as they ran, trying to escape the radioactive being's wrath.

Godzilla bellowed as he made his way through the village, slowly heading inland. Water still trickled from his massive hide, as he had just recently clambered out of the ocean. The afternoon sun provided a spotlight for his destruction. In the distance, the city of Kumamoto could be seen, no doubt unprepared for Godzilla's arrival.

Or so the powerful creature thought.

A barrage of shells impacted against Godzilla's back, forcing a cry of surprise out of the mighty leviathan. He turned around, roaring in anger. A line of tanks had rolled up behind him and ambushed him. Another group of shells slammed into Godzilla, this time right in his chest. Chunks of flesh flew off from the beast. Minor wounds, but they still stung. His rage building, Godzilla took a step towards the tanks, letting out an earth-shaking roar as his jagged spines began to grow an ominous red.

The defense of Kumamoto had begun.


	6. Tooth and Claw

**Tooth and Claw**

Another volley of missiles cut through the air, slamming directly into Godzilla's chest and neck area. Blood and pieces of scales rained down from each wound. With each volley, the commander urged on his squad to keep at it. The squadron of vehicles stood strong, hoping to deter the mighty creature from continuing on. But it was not to be.

With a ferocious roar, Godzilla opened his fanged maw. A lance of red-orange energy flew from his mouth, speeding straight toward the city defenders. With no feasible way to avoid the blast, the men and women below could do nothing as the beam incinerated them all, destroying their vehicles and scorching the earth. Godzilla's spines returned to their rosy pink shade and he shut his mouth, the annihilation of his foes complete.

The great leviathan raised his head as the rumble of helicopters reached his ears. He snarled as more resistance flew towards him. The JSDF were not ready to admit defeat as several helicopters raced towards him. In unison, each of the flying war machines released TOW missiles, which zoomed forward and found their mark in Godzilla's stomach. Bellowing in rage, Godzilla raised his claw and struck out at them, managing to clip the tails of two, sending them plummeting to the earth. His club-like tail took out another, smashing it into the ground. The remaining helicopters regrouped, preparing for another run at the gigantic creature. Godzilla roared a challenge, and the humans inside responded with another barrage of missiles, intent on blinding the King. Swiftly raising his hand up to protect his eyes, he turned around, tail outstretched. The roars of the helicopters were quickly silenced as Godzilla's tail slammed into each one, quickly demolishing the pitiful force. Yet once again, Godzilla underestimated his humanity. The helicopters were not the main threat.

"Fire!" The commander roared the order again and again, far below the nuclear monster. He stood before the pride and joy of the JSDF; the Full Metal Missile Launchers. They had managed to sneak up on the distracted beast, fourteen in all. And when the order was given, 14 missiles were launched. Seven found their mark somewhere upon the reptile's scaled body, while the rest missed entirely. Four punctured Godzilla's chest and stomach, protruding grotesquely from his body. He shrieked in agony, stepping backwards. Two sliced through his left leg, causing him to drop to one knee. The last lodged itself in Godzilla's shoulder. In unison, each missile exploded, causing the monster to scream and fall to the ground in a bloodied mess. The once proud beast now lay roaring in pain, blood and chunks of flesh raining down onto the forested ground. The celebration of the armed forces was short-lived as their adversary made his move. With a growl, his face a mixture of anger and anguish, the monster rose to one knee. His chest was mangled, muscle and flesh dangling from gigantic holes. And yet, he still managed to rise up on his feet, scarred and all. His vermillion eyes stared down at the awe-struck humans below him. The spines lining his back grew a bright red. Some of the men below prayed and accepted their fate, while many scrambled through the brush, trying to get away from the oncoming inferno. All seemed lost…

And then man and monster heard the shriek. The orb forming in Godzilla's mouth dissipated, and he turned around, his club-like tail narrowly dodging the missile launchers. Taking advantage of the brief respite, the JSDF forces hastily retreated, realizing that they would be unable to take on such a powerful creature. But some could not resist turning their heads to see what had saved them. Or simply delayed their doom.

The owner of the terrifying screech zoomed towards Godzilla, before abruptly stopping and hovering in the air. Rodan slowly descended until his feet touched the ground, talons digging into the earth. Rodan was dwarfed by the saurian creature, his regal crest only coming up the chest of the green-scaled reptile. Godzilla growled threateningly, his wounds beginning to seal up, a sickening yet amazing sight. Gashes and holes in his flesh seemed to repair themselves of their own accord, which was an incredible ability to have. Rodan cocked his head to the side, pondering whether this new creature was a friend or foe. He was unsure whether this was the creature that had caused him such distraught in the past, had forced him into hiding.

Godzilla wasn't going to wait. This was his territory and there was not room for two of them. With a snarl, Godzilla charged forth, lowering his head as he did so. Rodan quickly realized what was happening and launched upwards, nimbly dodging Godzilla's attack. The momentum carried the nuclear leviathan quite a ways before he managed to stop. Turning around, he roared angrily as Rodan stood, unharmed and laughing at him. Nobody made a fool of him! He opened his cavernous maw as his jagged spines grew an ominous red. Rodan quickly quieted himself, confused as to what his adversary was doing. The answer came quite quickly as a beam of atomic energy blasted forth. Rodan screeched as he took to the skies, but Godzilla wasn't giving up that easily. He followed Rodan, attempting to knock the bird out of the sky. Rodan swiftly cut through the sky, nimbly dodging the beam that nipped at his heels. Realizing that he couldn't outrun the fiery beam for long, Rodan sharply turned left – straight for Godzilla. Blazing a trail forth, Rodan slammed right into Godzilla's shoulder, eliciting a cry of shock from the radioactive reptile and cutting off the beam ray. Seeing that an alliance wasn't an option, Rodan decided it was time to attack. Shrieking, he dug his golden beak into scales and flesh, ripping and tearing with tiny, yet sharp teeth. His bronze wings continued to flap, disorientating Godzilla. Filled with rage, Godzilla was through being some sort of toy for an overgrown bird. He darted his head forward and snapped his jaws shut on the gigantic pteranodon's shoulder. The flying creature's assault immediately stopped as a surge of pain overtook the beast. Rodan screamed and attempted to peck the snout of the monster King but it was in vain. With a vicious shake of his head, Godzilla threw the pest off of him, tearing a piece of flesh off as he did. Rodan fell to the earth, groaning as he struggled to ignore the teeth marks in his shoulder. Godzilla grinned devilishly, fangs bathed in red. He strode forward, intent on finishing off this intruder.

Rodan was not ready to quit yet. He rose to his feet, releasing a ferocious roar as he did. Godzilla was not in the least bit intimidated, but it did show the nuclear menace that his foe was not to be taken lightly. The two behemoths charged at each other, colliding in a massive body slam. Rodan was taken aback, being the lighter of the two. However, his spiked armor sliced into Godzilla, causing the leviathan to grunt in discomfort. Rodan swiped at his opponent with his right wing, getting a clean hit on the side of his foe's head before following up with a left strike. Godzilla retaliated with an uppercut that sent Rodan reeling backwards. The radioactive dinosaur slashed Rodan across the chest, chipping off a couple of spikes before shoulder-checking his flying for. Rodan was forced back quite a ways before falling to the ground. Godzilla bellowed at the fallen Rodan, taunting him to continue fighting. Rodan slowly got to his feet and screeched back a challenge. With an almost impossible speed, Rodan took to the skies, rising out of sight. Godzilla grumbled as he scanned the skies for any hint to where his opponent had taken off too.

Rodan dived downwards, letting out a cry of war and slammed right into Godzilla's back, causing the beast to fall to the ground. Rodan once again flew upwards and disappeared. Godzilla snarled angrily as he got up once again. The attack once again came with no warning. Rodan burst from the clouds and collided with the scaled monster again, this time hitting his side. Rodan pecked and bit into Godzilla's flesh, his talons raking flesh from the King's legs. But before Godzilla could even begin to think about retaliating, Rodan had fled the scene. Agitated and in pain he hadn't felt since he fought the alien abomination a year ago, Godzilla stood up from his defensive position. The monster realized that brute strength would not be the answer. His breathing began to slow, and his chest rose and fell gently with each inhalation and exhalation. He closed his fierce vermillion eyes, and stood still, much like a replica stature. Then, he waited.

To the human ear, one would not pick up the whistling that Rodan was making in the sky. Nor would they be able to sense, to feel the aura of a living creature. The ancient being dove once more towards his target. Exposing his dangerous talons, Rodan intended to blind the monster King and finish him off.

A shame Godzilla had a different plan.

Eyes snapping open, Godzilla roared with a furious rage and his hand shot forward, wrapping his fingers around the neck of Rodan. The sheer momentum almost broke the pteranodon's neck. Rodan let out a choked scream as he realized he was in a very unfortunate predicament. Godzilla grinned, knowing his victory was sealed. Lifting up his lighter and smaller foe, Godzilla brutally slammed Rodan onto his back. Again and again he chokeslammed Rodan, several ribs snapped from the immense strength of the attack. Finally, as Rodan struggled to even breathe, Godzilla gripped Rodan's battered body with his other hand. With all the strength the green scaled beast could manage, Godzilla launched Rodan into the air. His spines crackled and glowed with nuclear energy, and all who were observing the battle knew what was next. Godzilla opened his mouth and a blast of scarlet-orange atomic energy burst forth, zoomed across the landscape, and slammed into Rodan's backside. With a squeal of aguish, the beam pushed Rodan through the air and off into the distance, far from both Kumamoto and the shoreline. Satisfied, Godzilla ended his attack, watching as a blackened Rodan fell to the earth far into the distance.

"Are you guys seeing this!"

"Yes Robert. We all are," Miyasaka replied over the sounds of the CCI helicopter's rotors spinning around. The five friends and associates gazed at the battleground, the victor roaring into the sky. He rolled his eyes, annoyed with Robert's childish disbelief. Yuki was snapping as many pictures as she could like a madwoman, while Io and Yuji watched in utter awe, gripping each other's hands tightly.

"Is the Karyu in position," Shiro questioned into a communicator he had pulled out from his pocket.

"Yes, Mr. Miyasaka. Shall we give the go-ahead?"

"Yes. Finish him off." Shiro clicked off the communicator as Yuji turned back, staring at him angrily.

"Battleship Karyu, this is CCI HQ, do you copy?"

"This is Kiriko, I read you loud and clear." The Karyu's main control room was small. Monitors and consoles lined every section of the steel gray room. A door located in the rear lead to the Karyu's maintenance area, while a hatch on the floor was the entrance and exit to the battleship. Two chairs sat on opposite sides while one was placed at the front, where the viewing window was located. This one was where Kiriko, the captain of the Karyu, sat. Bold, daring, and carried a hatred for the monster that had killed her parents a year ago. She was the perfect candidate for the job. She would allow no mercy, nor show any of it. Her shoulder-length black hair was tied into a ponytail. She, along with the other crewmembers, wore navy blue jumpsuits, with black Kevlar vests for added protection in case something went awry. Her helmet was placed at her side. It would only get in the way.

"You have orders to engage the target." Kiriko smirked.

"Finally!" She turned to her two other crew members. Hajime was the jokester of the group, with spiked black hair and a childish smile always plastered on his face. Ironic considering he manned the weapon systems. Yoshino was quiet, reserved. Kiriko liked that. She simply plotted the coordinates and got the Karyu where it needed to go. Not to mention she was pretty well-trained in the arts of medicine.

"Are you two ready to kick some giant monster ass?"

"Yeah! Our weapons will go through him like crap through a goose!" Kiriko frowned at him, while Yoshino shook her head and turned back to her console.

"What?"

"Work on your lines, Mr. Comedian." Kiriko shifted her focused to the viewing window in front of her, the captain's full attention on the leviathan in the distance. It was time. The Karyu lurched forward, its prey within sight. There was no turning back now.


	7. The Real Deal

**The Real Deal**

This was something new.

Definitely new.

Godzilla's lips curled into a snarl as he turned to face this new entity hovering towards him. It was not another animal like he. No, it was one of the machines crafted by the humans to combat him. Yet, it was gigantic, twice as long as he was. Vertically, it only reached up to his chest, but the massive length of the battleship easily made up for the lack of height. The ship was coated in a silver metallic armor, which shined brightly in the sunlight. The forecastle of the Karyu was where the men and women, who were putting their lives on the lines, maintained the mechanical defender. The control room was located on the bow of the main structure. The twin Electrical Particle Cannons were attached on either side of the Karyu, both brimming with electricity and humming with anticipation. On top of this, four pods on each of these 'arms' contained the Full Metal Missiles, in case the immense cannons were not enough. The most deadly weapon in the Karyu's arsenal was revealed as the ship ascended, allowing itself to look Godzilla straight in the eyes. Dubbed the 'Kaiju Cutter', it was, to put it bluntly, a single-edged blade of massive proportions. If the Karyu rammed forward full speed, it would no doubt be able to deal some serious damage to any giant monster that dared attack Japan.

"So…Godzilla…we finally meet," Kiriko murmured, the monitor in front of her displayed the world outside. Godzilla stood defiantly in the distance. Years of training had readied her for the moment she would face the ultimate killer, the radioactive reptile that seemed to stare right back at her with cruel unforgiving eyes. Her fists clenched tightly, nails digging into the flesh of her palm. Sweat began to form on her brow as she decided that the Karyu, man's greatest defense weapon, would make the first move.

"Hajime, let's see if he can handle a couple FMMs."

"Right on, Kiri!" She hated his little nicknames, but now wasn't the time to scold him for his childish antics. His usual gay demeanor shifted more towards a solemn one, understanding that their very lives and the city was at stake. He punched in a string of commands, muttering a phrase reminiscent of a prayer whilst undertaking his task.

The Karyu's real test had begun.

Two pods opened up on the sides of the Karyu battleship with a hiss. Two missiles peeked out, before popping out of their homes. They zoomed forth, swinging to and fro in the air as they honed in on their radioactive target. Godzilla did not have much time to put up much of a defense as the missiles crashed into his abdomen, shredding his flesh into tiny pieces, and coating the ground with his scarlet blood. He squealed in pain, reeling backwards. His wounds still had not healed from the encounter with the ancient winged creature, and these projectiles only made things worse. He flashed his fangs in anger at his attacker, the jagged spines on his back shifted a red-orange color and crackling with plasma energy.

"Perfect."

The powerful beam of radioactive plasma was unleashed from Godzilla's maw, speeding towards the Karyu. Yoshino needed no ordering as she turned the Karyu around, allowing the atomic ray to slam right into the left armament of the hi-tech battleship.

The diamond plating of the ship began to flash violently and glow a vibrant orange as it began to absorb and harness the energy from the beam. The cockpit was silent; a tense atmosphere clouded the room. Each individual waited nervously for the results of this insane experiment. Would the armor work, or would they be fried instantly?

Human ingenuity would prevail, it seemed, as the Karyu remained stalwart as Godzilla's atomic ray beat and battered the side of the ship, to no avail. Realizing that it was no use, the King reluctantly cut the attack short. The Karyu's armor once again flashed, before returning back to its normal steel color.

"Son of a bitch, it actually worked."

"Never doubted it at all, Cap'!"

The CCI helicopter, painted a brick red and dull gray, buzzed about, far from the battlefield. The entourage on board was absolutely stunned by what they had just seen. The epitome of human defense had just taken the full brunt of Godzilla's frightening atomic ray and had remained intact. Not only that, but the NT-20 alloy, combined with the special diamond plating, had actually absorbed its energy, storing it within the core.

"You seemed speechless, Yuji," Miyasaka shouted, grinning at the scientist, whose face said it all; He was clearly shocked and amazed.

"I can't believe this…it's unprecedented!" Io clung to him, unwilling to let go. She had prided herself on being fearless, but being so up close to the battle caused doubt to well up inside of her.

"Indeed. We now have a weapon to combat the scaly bastard. And…to finally kill him," he yelled with enthusiasm over the spinning rotors. His mouth then quickly changed back into a thin, firm line as he focused on the battle at hand. He tapped the pilot on the soldier and instructed him to retreat a few more meters.

"Oh, you've gotta' be kidding me. Freaking camera!" Yuki grumbled in displeasure as her camera no longer had any film. The first battle between Godzilla and Japan's newest hope and she had run out of film.

"Just my luck!" She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around, only to see Robert there holding up a cheap plastic camera, no doubt picked up at some super-store.

"It's not a Fujifilm, but-"The camera was quickly snatched out of his hands as Yuki resumed her documentation of the battle in the distance. His mouth was still agape, about to continue with his statement, but closed it after some thought.

"You're welcome," he replied, a tad bitter. He pushed aside the emotions that welled up inside him as he resumed watching the spectacle before him.

_Outskirts of Kitamatsu Village, 2000_

Nobody had ever gone into the cave. It was well hidden in the forest, the landscape providing the perfect cover. Inside, it was absolutely cavernous. Stalactites and stalagmites were everywhere, making it extremely hard to navigate on foot.

The inhabitants of the cave, however, were not human.

Illuminating the cave would reveal hundreds of pods stuck to the ceiling and walls. Each was oil black, blending in with the darkness. They had been here for several days, the entities inside growing and morphing into a new, larger form. The ground was strewn with the remains of animals, including the corpses of what were once human beings. A foul stench permeated from not only the gruesome scene on the floor but from the grotesque pods clinging to the walls and ceiling.

This haunting scene would no doubt scare anybody who walked in here away. However, if they were to stay just a bit longer, they would become witnesses to an event that had not occurred in millions of years.

A pod nearest to the cave entrance began to shake; gently at first, but as time went by, it began to rattle and roll until the ebony goop sticking it snapped off with a loud _crack_. The pod tumbled to the floor, shattering like a clay vase. Fragments skidded about, leaving a mass of black gel containing some sort of creature where it had impacted.

The creature, or to be more specific, the insect struggled and flailed at its amorphous captive, before finally managing to rid itself of the gel. It clicked its mandibles, cautiously approaching the mouth of the cave. The afternoon sun managed to reveal the new form of the Meganulon.

If one was viewing such a monstrosity, a giant dragonfly would be the first thing you thought of. It was a tad larger than its previous form, having the size to easily pin a full grown man to the ground. Its carapace was tan and mottled with mossy green splotches. The sides of its elongated body were covered with six spikes, three on each side. Above these were two sets of transparent, opaque wings, an elegant green design placed upon them. The ancient dragonfly had six legs, the back four used for landing. The front two were more akin to scythes, each serrated and no doubt deadly. The Meganula used these for attacking and for pinning their prey down. The head of this prehistoric predator was nothing out of the ordinary; mandibles used for ripping into flesh and two sets of emotionless green eyes. The head twitched to and fro, analyzing its surroundings. Satisfied that there was no danger, it let out a shrill cry, announcing the arrival of its kin. As if on cue, the hundreds of other Meganula began to free themselves from their cocoons, dropping to the ground and entering their new world. The screams of the refreshed brood began to rise in volume, and would surely deafen any human stupid enough to be at this event.

The Meganula who had first awoken turned to the reawakened hunters, and chirped and hissed at them, as if relaying information. The others received it with ecstasy, buzzing all about the cave, testing their newly formed wings.

Suddenly, they all froze. None of the giant insects moved, not even an inhuman twitch. The lead Meganula twitched, before letting out a squeal of delight. Its wings began to buzz to life and it zoomed out of the mouth of the cave. The rest of the swarm took to the air and swiftly followed.

The Meganula had found exactly what they needed; an energy source.

Left behind, in the deep, dark depths of the cavern, in a pool of murky water, lay an even larger chrysalis. One that contained a threat not seen on this planet since the age of the dinosaurs.

_Outskirts of Kumamoto, 2000_

"Activate the EPCs!" Hajime and Yoshino worked in unison as they readied the Karyu to unleash its destructive weaponry. The twin cannons on each side of the sleek battleship began to hum ominously, and sparks of golden light began to dance within the maws of the armaments. Yoshino plugged in commands and gripped the joysticks which controlled the movement of the Karyu. In order to become more accurate, she lowered the Karyu closer to the ground, which would enable them to strike the green creature right in the legs.

Godzilla wasn't going to wait. Roaring in anger, he charged forward, albeit noticeably slower due to his injuries. Thankfully, the blessing that was his Organizer G1 had finally begun to kick in. The tears and gashes in his flesh were slowly but surely beginning to patch themselves up. The muscles fused back together, every thread of flesh returning to its normal state. The blood leaking out slowly became a tiny trickle, and even Godzilla's scales were starting to grow back.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Realizing their predicament, the Karyu quickly elevated, catching Godzilla's war-face as he honed in on them. The Karyu performed a barrel-roll; narrowly dodging Godzilla's advancing body. The King of the Monsters sped by them before slowing himself down to a stop. He turned around, bellowing in anger. The open landscape played right into the Karyu's strengths. It could maneuver any way it wanted without having to worry about skyscrapers stopping it.

Godzilla grumbled, clenching his fists several times, attempting to formulate some plan to conquer his inorganic foe. The Karyu would not allow it. Despite the brief skirmish with Godzilla, the cannons had still been charging and were now ready to be fired.

"Let him have it," Kiriko roared, becoming increasingly more and more confident in their ship's ability to take down their deadly foe.

And perhaps their confidence was well-placed.

The twin cannons on each side of the Karyu began to rumble with rage, the golden energy now seeping out of each of the mouths. The Karyu lowered itself, stabilized its thrusters, and let loose a hellish double-dosage of electricity.

With a sound like thunder and the speed of lighting, the masers launched forth and struck Godzilla right in his already injured chest. He screamed in anguish as the electrical current surged through his body, every possible nerve on fire. His body began to shake violently and his eyes rolled back in his head. The torturous attack seemed to never end, with the masers continuing to electrocute the weakened monster king.

"The cannons are almost out of juice, Captain. Recommend we end the assault."

"Alright, do it." The EPCs were shut down, the yellow light darkening once more. The Karyu hovered cautiously in place; waiting to see what exactly condition the radioactive reptile was in.

Godzilla's torso was hideously charred and blackened. Thick smoke ascended from his fried body. He still stood; the King had not been slain. Godzilla took a few steps forward, eyes blank and glazed over. His jaws opened up, as if to let out a ferocious cry, yet only a weak growl was emitted. The leviathan then proceeded to fall to the ground on his side, his respirations slow and few. His claws gripped at the earth, carving gashes into the landscape.

"Ready the Dimension Tide."

"Ma'am…with all due respect, it isn't fully powered."

"I don't give a damn. Do it. Now!" Hajime gulped and readied the Karyu's ultimate weapon. Yoshino piloted the Karyu lower to the ground. From underneath the massive ship came a set of landing gear, three metallic prongs that impaled the ground and allowed the Karyu to prepare. A panel slowly slid open, and gigantic cannon ascended, a technological marvel. It was a goliath, comprised of the NT-20 metal and diamond plating. The core could be seen, hidden underneath the armor and wiring of the weapon, glowing a bright yellow. A tube connected to the back, leading to the inside of the ship, no doubt siphoning the Karyu's energy supply. The maw of the cannon stared out ominously, a faint light inside of the darkness. Six slabs of metal encircled it, and as the cannon began to charge, they slowly stretched outwards. The Dimension Tide, if staring at it, looked very much like a man-made sun, a metallic star.

"Dimension Tide charging. 33%."

Godzilla coughed, a wave of blood erupting from his maw. He growled painfully, clutching his wounded chest.

"56%. He's still moving, Captain," Yoshino barked. The Dimension Tide began to roar, eager to finish off the foe it was meant to kill. Kiriko gripped the ends of her seat tightly, whilst Hajime monitored the progress of the energy build-up.

The King rose to one knee, shaking the dust coating his brain. His chest burned intensely, the flesh charred and torn. The pain was immense, and the electricity from the maser cannon severely hampered his regeneration. His vermillion eyes caught sight of the Karyu, and his lips curled into a snarl.

"84%." Godzilla rose to his feet, an incredibly painful ache in every inch of his body. He limped forward, his claws clenching into fists, his spines shifting from a serene pink to a violent red-orange.

Things were looking up for the Karyu; their ace in the hole was about to end the nuclear menace once and for all. However, you can never count on machines. The Karyu sputtered and sparks flew out of the D.T. cannon. It choked and coughed, and the lights inside the Karyu began to flicker. The thrusters struggled to stay active.

"What the hell is going on!" Kiriko was bewildered and most of all furious that complete victory was slipping from her fingertips.

"Power failure! We used up too much. We can't sustain the Dimension Tide!" The power shut down momentarily, before the back-ups kicked in. The control room was bathed in a scarlet light. The battleship that had once been on the steps to victory now lay awkwardly upon its landing gear, teetering to and fro.

"Game over, man! Game over!" Things indeed looked bleak as the radioactive monster towered over the fallen aircraft. He observed it curiously, taking a measure of joy in seeing it fail.

"Can't we do something!"

"I've already alerted the JSDF. They're going to try and distract him," Miyasaka fired back. He spoke back into his radio, snapping at whoever was on the other line.

"Yuji…Yuki…look." Robert gripped the seat tightly as he reached out of the helicopter and pointed towards Kumamoto. The two followed his gaze, and they too shared his wonderment. A cloud of brown, flying objects were making a bee-line straight towards the combatants. They darted in between the buildings, cut through the trees, and navigated the underbrush.

"Hand me the binoculars, Io." Shinoda's daughter did as she was told, giving them to her father. He brought them up to his eyes and he peered into them, studying the swarm. He cursed loudly, and nearly dropped the visionary aid as he realized what he was seeing.

"Yuji, what is it," Yuki questioned.

"Meganula."

The high-pitched screeches even managed to drown out the helicopter's rotors as the swarm neared. The pilot yelled something, quickly turning the helicopter around. The civilians were jerked about inside. The civilian chopper was retreating from the fight, leaving the battlefield in order to find safety.

"What about the crew of the Karyu, Shiro?"

"I hope they make it." That was all he had to say about that as he stared blankly at the Karyu in the distance.

The Meganula swarm knew that there was an energy source nearby, but they did not expect it to be alive. The green animal before them turned its head, a feral face overcome with confusion. The insatiable swarm paused in the air, hundreds darting about, pondering the next move. Finally, within seconds, they knew what must be done.

Godzilla did not even have a chance to let out a roar before the hundreds of Meganula were upon him.


	8. The Swarm

To say I abused this story would be an understatement. A lot of personal issues put this to the side, and I never found the will to continue it after I had finally settled back down. The second time I had left this to collect dust. I guess with the announcement of a new Godzilla movie gave me that stroke of inspiration. To those who read this and were actively interested in it; I'm sorry. It's been more than a year since I've written anything akin to a story, so here's hoping the rust doesn't show much.  
Enjoy. Read and review, please.

**The Swarm**

The swarm, a cloud of frenzied and starving insects, enveloped the King of the Monsters. Their devilish forms found footholds all along the beast's scaled body to cling to. Clawed appendages dug into Godzilla's skin; a testament to the strength of the prehistoric predators. Godzilla was blinded by the mass of insects swarming all around him. Their beating wings and loud shrieks attacked his ears and threw his concentration off. His focus was off; his reactions were sluggish. This was certainly a new experience to him.

Perfect for the Meganula. With their quarry befuddled, now was their chance to fulfill their only goal in life, as cruel nature had intended it. Those that had managed to penetrate the green scales of Godzilla screeched in unison as they raised tails skyward. On command, a translucent stinger emerged, appearing somewhat fragile. It couldn't be a weapon of sorts; it looked like it would crack if wielded as such. Its purpose was swiftly demonstrated as the Meganula aimed their tail downwards, and jammed it into their radioactive victim. It was not a dagger to kill; it was a syringe of sorts. Each Meganula bared their insidious fangs as something was being drawn out of Godzilla. It wasn't blood, no. It was…energy? Their stingers, tools of their nefarious craft, began to grow neon orange, the same color of Godzilla's destructive atomic beam.

Godzilla finally elicited a cry of anguish as countless amounts of his tiny adversaries penetrated his skin, each attack drawing out what appeared to be energy from his 'core'. He began to shake his head violently, attempting to dislodge the Meganula swarming near his vermillion eyes and those about to adventure into his nostrils. The puny insects were thrown about like rag dolls and soon Godzilla had a momentary respite, at least around his snout and face. The Meganula were all attacking various spots around his body, from, his shoulders all the way down to the tip of his tail. Even then, there were still many zipping about around him, searching for a spot on this magnificent buffet before them.

Frankly, at this point, the radioactive leviathan was done being some feast for the malevolent Meganula. With another roar, one of rage, the spines along his back began to crackle and hum as Godzilla's radioactive energy began to harness itself within the mutated dinosaur. Some of the prehistoric monsters were clambering about on his spikes; this would prove to be a fatal mistake as the Meganula were fried instantly by the intense heat. An orb of pure atomic energy formed in Godzilla's maw; the most powerful weapon on the planet. With a bellow of anger, Godzilla unleashed his trademark weapon against the insignificant insects who dared to attack him.

Those in the airspace directly in front of Godzilla's cavernous mouth were obliterated by the vibrant beam of energy, unable to even process what was going on before they were wiped from existence. The Meganula swarm was taken aback, and began evasive maneuvers. The behemoth began to turn his head, tracking the movements of the ancient dragonflies, his blast incinerating any that got close to it. Those clinging to his neck and shoulders weren't in the ideal location; their carapaces began to literally melt and deform due to the close proximity to the source of the atomic ray. Soon, their life force was snuffed out and they fell to the ground. Some of the smarter, or perhaps luckier, Meganula rooted themselves on Godzilla's side and legs where he could not easily reach. Godzilla rotated around, trying to catch all of the insects in his beam, but they were too swift once they caught on to his attack. Agitated at how he seemed to be slower than usual, he cut off his atomic ray in favor of a more 'hands-on' approach.

Several Meganula zoomed in front of him, no doubt eager to resume their draining of the radioactive monster. In response, the mutated dinosaur lurched forward, jaws open and snapped them shut, impaling the Meganula in his mouth, hearing the crunch of his teeth against their meek armor.

Satisfying.

Looking down, he saw many insects crawling around his chest and stomach, some already beginning the extraction. Scowling, he brought his talons towards his torso, proceeding to rip them off his scaled body. He swatted and batted those that fled, and yet it didn't seem to do much good as it never seemed quite enough. His club-like tail swung back and forth, throwing the Meganula off of it and squashing those careless enough to get in its way. He growled in agitation as he desperately tried to cleanse his enormous body of the infestation.

"Have you redirected the energy reserves to the propulsion system?" Kiriko watched the skirmish unfold with immense curiosity, taking some satisfaction in seeing her foe flustered and unable to do much about the rampant pest problem all around him. Since the onset of those giant bugs, the Karyu had been left to its own devices. Rather than sitting helplessly awaiting the victor, the trio who piloted the anti-Godzilla weapon took matters into their own hands

"Yes ma'am," Hajime replied. He worked feverishly at the panel, almost completing his alterations to the energy current. He ran a gloved hand through hair. He had removed his helmet; he had always hated the damn thing. The design was just so bland. Sweat had already built up around his brow, a result of working under such immense pressure.

"Good. Yoshino?" Kiriko turned her attention to the resident medic, who was now finishing up a conversation with their superiors in the CCI.

"Reinforcements are on the way. They're hesitant to deploy any more tanks carrying the FMMs. However, we're getting some air support on the way. F15Js, if I heard correctly." Kiriko let out a sigh, expressing her relief and slumped back in the command chair. She was lucky that the creators of this battleship had an emphasis on comfort, considering those inside it would be putting their lives on the line against a fierce beast.

"Do you want to power this baby up, Kiriko?"

"No, not yet. Put the Karyu in stand-by mode."

"Ma'am, with all due respect, we can get out of here. There isn't shame in retreating."

"Hajime, are you serious," Kiriko barked angrily. "Don't be a chicken-shit. We have a job to do, and those insects out there aren't going to finish it for us. We just have to wait for the right time to strike. We are not running away; do you understand?" He nodded his head, cheeks flushing. He coughed and returned to his work monitoring the weapon systems.

"Yoshino?"

"Right behind you." The medic smiled slightly, no doubt nervous about the possibilities of what could happen in the very near future. They had all been trained for situations like this, of course. Yet, simulations on the computer or live exercises with no real danger could not possibly compare to the one they were in.

"Alright then. Keep in contact with those reinforcements; give them coordinates on Godzilla's position, and do warn them about those insects."

Half the Meganula swarm had been wiped out. Incinerated, crushed, torn up, you named it, Godzilla had performed that fatality. The assault had appeared to have lasted for an hour, and yet in reality, it was less than one-fourth of that. Godzilla's breathing grew labored as he clumsily tried to grasp at those devious dragonflies attached to his body. He shook his body ragged, clawing at his own skin to rid himself. The Meganula were determined, and still draining his body of energy. His movements were beginning to slow, a fact that made him quite uneasy. Realizing that he had to do something, he quickly began to harness the nuclear energy he still had left into his spikes. They grew a reddish-orange, and a hum began to fill the air. The very air began to sizzle around him, managing to kill off several Meganula who had braved crawling along his spine. To those familiar with the confrontation Godzilla had with the alien in 1999, they would realize that he was preparing his ultimate attack.

The nuclear pulse. A blast of atomic fury from the core of Godzilla that could demolish city blocks and, as proven in 1999, can completely destroy a monster bigger than himself. Godzilla roared out, preparing to unleash a hellish inferno that would take care of the infestation once and for all.

The humans in the Karyu balked, realizing that they were in deep trouble if the pulse did go off; a quick calculation revealed that they were in its way, and there was certainly no guarantee the armor plating would be able to handle such power.

The deafening bellow soon died off into a grunt of exertion, or at least what sounded like what. The crackling of energy began to dissipate; the spines along Godzilla returning back to their rosy shade. The Meganula screeched, still very much alive and taking glee in the King's attempt to rid himself of them.

Godzilla was confused. This had never happened before. He had never failed to unleash his weaponry. Even against Orga, a foe who literally attempted to devour him, he still managed to blow the alien into pieces. The swarm had drained too much from him. Underneath his rage and anguish, the nuclear menace was confused. The atomic creature growled and fell to one knee. His very essence, his life-blood so to speak, was being stolen from him by insects, of all things! Yet, for what seemed like ages, he truly felt _weakened_.

The Meganula, the ones who had survived and had clung to the rage-filled reptile, were now bloated and filled to the brim with plasma. They quickly removed their stingers from the flesh of Godzilla, allowing blood to begin to seep out. Communicating through shrieks and clicks, they began to retreat from the scene of their feast, making their way back towards where they came.

Godzilla snarled fiercely as he witnessed their apparent forfeit. It certainly did not feel like a victory to him. Hundreds of wounds covered his body, each coated in blood and some sort of bio-chemical the Meganula had secreted. The cells inside his body were finding it incredibly difficult to patch up the mutilation of his flesh, if they could at all. The secretion had made his regeneration utterly useless at this point. At the moment, the monster was a bloody mess. Holes layered his sides, legs, and stomach. The pain was something he could handle; the apparent stripping of his greatest weapon affected him greatly. This was a new foe; one more dangerous than the alien he had faced a year ago, or the flying reptile he had crushed earlier.

Godzilla shakily got back up, visibly hindered by the attack. Due to his head filled with tumultuous thoughts, he was unable to see the next attack.

A barrage of missiles collided with his neck and chest, causing him to cry out in pain as chunks of flesh rained down upon the ground. The squadron of F15Js flew past him, narrowing avoiding a sluggish tail swat. Godzilla bared his teeth in anger and turned to face his new, inorganic foes. The jets turned back around and pelted him with fire from their guns. Normally, this attack would be inadequate due to the presence of his Organizer G1 cells. However, due to their apparent malfunction, the rounds pelted his skin and open wounds, further causing the behemoth pain. With no atomic ray to fear, the jets continued their guerilla attacks on Godzilla. All the King could do was snap his jaws at them and attempt to swat them down with his tail.

The jets were the perfect distraction.

"Now!" The Karyu rumbled to life, raising itself off the ground. The thrusters burned intently, scorching the earth and nearby buildings. The Dimension Tide was offline, and there was no power to the EPCs. The ship was also out of missiles.

Now, indeed, was the time for the Karyu to use its most…unsophisticated weapon. The Karyu shot forward, quickly closing the distance between itself and the radioactive dinosaur. The sounds of the massive machine quickly caught Godzilla's ears. The behemoth turned to face the greater threat, ignoring the jets even as their missiles pelted his backside.

Godzilla's eyes widened in shock as the Karyu was speeding right towards him; the 'Kaiju Cutter' front and center. Godzilla roared out in defiance, only to be cut off half-way as the Karyu's massive blade made contact. The serrated 'bayonet' sliced through Godzilla's thick scales, burying itself inside Godzilla. He cried out in agony, and blood spewed from his maw. Inside the Karyu, Kiriko grinned in delight.

"Let's get rid of this bastard." With all the energy put towards the propulsion system, the Karyu began to push the giant back towards where he came from, the watery depths of the sea. The battleship managed to actually lift the clawed feet of Godzilla off the ground. His tail weakly slapped about.

"Kiriko, this is putting a lot of strain on the Karyu!" The creaks in the hull of the ship echoed throughout the control room. The Karyu was meant to be a weapon in the war against giant monstrosities, but to actually impale one _and_transport it? It was truly difficult to comprehend; perhaps not as much as the mere existence of monsters like Godzilla.

"She can handle it. Keep at it." Hajime and Yoshino worked in conjunction to keep the Karyu in flight amongst all the exertion by the ship. Outside, the blade was still embedded in Godzilla's chest, no doubt having penetrated some organs, or whatever it had inside its body. Godzilla bellowed weakly, but the spirit of a godly creature cannot be broken so easily. Furious eyes focusing on the human weapon, Godzilla clenched its fists and began to pummel the Karyu as they flew over the cerulean expanse.

Hajime yelled out in panic as the ship groaned, the alarms beginning to activate, bathing the room in a scarlet light.

Kiriko cursed and checked the condition of the ship. The port of the Karyu was being beaten down. The NT-1 armor was meant to handle energy weapons, not brute force. It would most likely cave in under continued assault and…well, Kiriko hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Drop him," Kiriko coldly commanded. Hajime nodded and punched in a command into the console. The Kaiju Cutter, anticlimactically, simply detached from the bow of the Karyu, allowing gravity to take over. Godzilla roared in agony as he, and the massive blade embedded in his chest, fell into the ocean, disappearing beneath the waves. Waves and foam erupted from the descent of the nuclear menace, and blood began to darken the water.

"We…we did it. We did it!" Not since 1954 had humanity managed to trounce the beast. Granted those insects did do a number on Godzilla, but _they_ dealt the finishing blow. They practically mutilated the damned animal. Hajime's cheers brought relief to the women beside him. Yoshino flashes a smile as she reached for the communicator to alert the CCI and JSDF of their victory of the menace.

"You alright, Kiri? I figured you'd be ecstatic!"

"Oh yes, yes. I am," she replied. He raised his hand up, asking for a hi-five. She raised an eyebrow, figured she could allow some leniency, and fulfilled his request with a loud smack. He grinned, a completely different person from a few minutes ago. The F15Js raced by, their pilots saluting the trio responsible for the fantastic defeat of Godzilla before returning to base, bringing with them very good news.

Still, Kiriko remained apprehensive. Godzilla was as good as dead. Those bugs drained him of all energy, if their observations were correct, and the Karyu had cut him up quite nicely. Yet, she hadn't _seen_ him pass away, hadn't _seen_ his breathing slow to a halt, and his eyes shut forever.

"Let's get back to base. We're done here."

With Godzilla out of the picture it seemed, along with the giant pterandon, the only thing Japan had to worry about now was a pest infestation. Bugs should be easy compared to dinosaurs, right?


	9. Respite

Changed the name of one of the Karyu's crew members. Realized my mistake after I had finished Chapter 8. Apologies for any confusion. Monster action has always been key in anything Godzilla-related, so I hope I have satisfied you so far.

**Respite**

_Osaka, 2000_

"Mr. Miyasaka, are the reports true claiming Godzilla has been vanquished?" Shiro absolutely loved the attention. A crowd of reporters had gathered in front of the CCI Headquarters, thrusting the once under-the-radar organization into the spotlight. The interviewer in front of him was a woman, young and beautiful. He flashed a smile and eyed her up and down before answering the question. The cameraman fidgeted, attempting to get a better look at Miyasaka before the man began to speak.

"Well, we don't want to sound cocky but…we're confident that the monster that terrorized Tokyo last year has been killed." That statement caused the group to erupt into excited conversations with many bickering for a chance to talk to the man behind the operation. Shiro couldn't help but grin once again. _He_ was the hero here. Well, maybe not the one who dealt the killer blow to Godzilla, but he certainly was the knot that tied everything together. He procured the funding and supplies necessary to craft the Karyu. He organized the many members of the CCI and helped forge a union between it and the JSDF.

It couldn't be helped his ego was getting a much-needed boost.

"How did the Karyu best such a monster?"

"Thanks to the ingenuity of the many engineers and technicians responsible for building the Karyu, as well as its three magnificent pilots; Major Kiriko Tsujimori and Lieutenants Hajime Kudo, and Yoshino Yoshizawa, ladies and gentleman!" The ecstatic crowd burst into cheers and clapping, unable to hold into their rejoice. The very real possibility of Godzilla's defeat was finally becoming clear. A man, sloppily dressed and looking like he was running on pure caffeine, bullied his way up to Miyasaka. He held out a cheap tape recorder, eager to catch-all of Shiro's responses

"Where did you get the funding for the Karyu?"

"What? That is classified information!" Shiro furrowed his brow as the irritating man continued to throw a barrage of questions at him.

"What about the reports of a giant flying dinosaur in the vicinity of Kumamoto? And the giant bugs seen around the same locale?" Everyone in the immediate vicinity instantly took an interest in the interrogation of Miyasaka. This was all news and, possibly, top-secret. They couldn't miss a chance like this to snag some covert intel.

"I am not sure where you received such information, but I am not going to support such ridiculous statements. My ride is here. If you'll excuse me…" He brushed roughly past the inquisitive, if annoying, man and entered a stylish all-black sedan. He quickly shut the door as reporters quickly swarmed the vehicle, attempting to soak up any more information. They were out of luck, as Shiro's personal driver sped off down the road, leaving the pack of scoop-hungry reporters in their dust.

"My, we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

It had been several hours since the defeat of Godzilla. The sun that had bared witness to the savage battles that had taken place had set, shrouding the country of Japan into darkness. The news quickly spread and many of the citizens were rejoicing, convinced they were finally free of any sort of giant monster threats. Japan could decommission the Karyu and finally avert any more controversial issues with the other countries of the world, although the United States were quite supportive considering they had just gotten done with their own lizard problems. However, not all information had been leaked to the general populace. A few scant details had been purposely left off, to stem any outbreak of panic among the celebrating citizens.

Very important details.

_Ariake Sea_

All access to the sea had been immediately cut off following confirmation of Godzilla in the body of water. Although he was dead, there was no doubt his corpse would still be a type of environmental hazard. The radioactivity on this second Godzilla was not as strong at the original's, who attacked Japan in 1954. Still, they couldn't take any chances with poisoning of the populace. A blockade of ships had formed a ring around the presumed location of Godzilla's corpse. Bell 212 Twin Huey helicopters surveyed the scene, spotlights roaming the waters. The JSDF had employed a select few aircraft and sea-faring vessels of the Japanese Coast Guard to keep the area on lockdown. Below the hum of the helicopters, several small patrol ships patrolled the sea, all surrounding the _Shikishima_, as if forming a barrier to protect her. The massive patrol ship guarded over Godzilla's grave, with hundreds of workers, scientists, and soldiers crawling all over the ship, each handling their task with a sense of reserved joy. Many were superstitious about the attempt to be made to disturb the dead beneath the hull of the ship. Anything could happen with such a freakish creature. Hell, some were convinced the ghosts of the dead would possess it and cause another attack!

Miyasaka stood next to a couple of scientists, both fairly aged with greying hair. He tapped his foot anxiously on the steel, awaiting their next move. Beside them, hanging above the indigo depths, was a man-sized submersible. It was structured much like the modern submarine; painted vibrant silver with a red graphic stating that it was property of the CCI. It was remote-controlled, and attached to the ship via a tether. Beside the trio was a desk in which numerous and advanced video equipment was placed, no doubt hooked into the ROV's sensors. One of the men stood by it, testing the platform in which he would utilize to control the mini-sub. A few button presses and a maneuvering of a stick led to the 'arms' on the submersible awkwardly stretching outwards, and the claws attached at the end gripping the air.

"So, you'd say it's ready to check things out?"

"Yes, Mr. Miyasaka. Everything is set; we ran the diagnostics and the Search-Godzilla-System should be one-hundred percent ready to go."

"Excellent. Time for some grave-robbing, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled at his own joke, whilst the older scientists simply smiled before reading the SGS for its first official run. Its claws were designed to be able to pry any kind of flesh sample from Godzilla's scales. It was built to survive even in the highest of pressures that Godzilla would find himself in. A variety of canisters and tubes were hidden on its underside, used to hold any sort of interesting data it scrounged up. Most importantly, it had an ink launcher, very much like a tank cannon, on the underside, a crude attempt at mimicking a squid's natural defense system. If the situation got too hot, it would dispense the load near Godzilla's face and, hopefully, blind him, leaving the SGS enough time to jet away to the escape.

It would most likely be a futile attempt, but it was something done to prevent a very expensive toy from being crushed. That very toy was now being deployed into the Ariake Sea, on its way to see firsthand the body of Godzilla, cold and motionless.

_Outskirts of Kumamoto_

In the heavy forest, there was yet another secretive mission to analyze the corpse of a monster. This was not as heavy an operation as the one to disturb Godzilla, but this one was still very important. Jeeps with armed men surrounded the fallen creature, keeping their eye out for any intruders seeking a scoop or with loose tongues. Behind their barrier, several biologists, technicians, and scientists were all setting up mobile lab platforms. Nobody was really sure how to go about procuring tissue samples and obtaining useful data from a giant monster right next to them, but they had to give it a shot.

"Did you already use the Geiger Counter to measure the radiation?"

"Yeah, area is completely safe as far as that goes," the younger man, probably in his late twenties replied, before shaking hands with Yuji Shinoda. "There were slight traces, but nothing some safety precautions can handle.

"Name's Shigeru. Shigeru Kamura. I was called in because of reports of a 'fossil find' but this…this is unbelievable!" He turned back towards their prize, which lay prone on the ground.

The flying reptile had been sent flying after the battle with Godzilla. The navy membranes on his left wing had been torn and burnt, while one of his horns was dangling off awkwardly. His beak was open, with blood pooling out of his mouth, while his lounge lolled out to the side. Based on the reports of the battle, and the vomit-inducing stench of burnt flesh, it was wise to assume that the front of the creature was in worse shape. The prehistoric creature's bronze skin was blackened in some parts and bloodied in others. Clearly, the animal had been outmatched when it had taken on Godzilla.

"Well, what have you discovered so far?" Yuji had found this find particularly interesting. Godzilla was a mutated dinosaur, to put it in broad terms. Yet, here before them, was an actual relic from the prehistoric age. It was massive, arguably the largest aerial predator in history. The estimates had put its height around 35-40 meters, with a wingspan of 100 meters. Still, even it was no match for the King of the Monsters. Well…formerly the King. Yuji still had conflicting emotions about it all. The threat had finally been ended. Even so, Yuji felt emptier for it, as if his purpose on this world had been stripped away from him. Without Godzilla, he was no longer the savvy professor who could predict Godzilla's movements and analyze everything about Godzilla. He was _the_ expert. Now, the radioactive dinosaur was dead.

_It was too easy…_

He had reservations about whether they had truly succeeded. Godzilla had yet to rise up from the depths like he had so many times before, so perhaps the Karyu had finally completed the task it was designed and built for; to slay the dragon.

"Yuji? You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Lost myself in my thoughts," he replied, chuckling as he scratched the back of his head.

"Alright. As I was saying, we have no previous fossil records that give any insight as to when this animal existed or where it lived or anything of the sort. The largest pterosaur we know of is Quetzalcoatlus northropi, but even it is a dwarf compared to this behemoth. We have to assume it fed on marine animals and perhaps even dinosaurs, but that seems so unbelievable. No trace of feathers, except on the tail. The beak is filled with razor-sharp teeth. The horns on its skull were most likely used in mating rituals, but I envision they would also work well as weapons. It certainly doesn't fit the modern interpretation of a pterosaur. This animal is certainly an abnormality of evolution; how it survived is a complete mystery to me. My theory is that, wherever it came from, it must have exposed to something to alter the size. Whether it mutated back in the age of the dinosaurs or while it was in hibernation, I do not know. "

Yuji nodded his head, his eyes studying the ancient reptile. Once again, a one-of-a-kind beast had arrived in this world, only to be quickly smitten. He heaved a sigh and shook his head. Death was a part of everything, it seemed. Perhaps he should go into zoology. It seemed they would appreciate his efforts to conserve life rather than to snuff it out.

"What do you want to call the reptile, Kamura?"

"Well, I think traditional naming has been thrown out of the window here," the pterosaur expert replied, laughing. Yuji joined him, allowing himself a respite from his negative thoughts.

"I think we shall call it…Radon."


	10. Descent

Here is the next chapter. Had a lot of spare time, so managed to churn this one out. Hope to do the same for the next one. As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and be sure to leave a review or your thoughts. Always appreciate it.

**Descent **

_CCI HQ in Osaka, Japan_

The frigid water splashed upon Kiriko's face as she tried to cleanse herself of all the pressure and stress she had been placed under the past several hours. She sneaked a peak in the mirror and sighed. Her face looked worn, hardly fitting a woman of her age. Though, not many women had a job as a pilot of a warship specifically created to destroy monsters. Her hair was tied up into a bun. She motioned to release her locks from their binding, but stopped herself. There was never time to truly relax, not with monsters roaming about in unknown parts of Japan. When she was done with her mission, her R&R would be something to remember, and she would definitely be putting her hair down. She flicked off the light and walked out of the bathroom into the lounge, where her comrades were seated. The television set in the room was on, set to broadcast the latest news report, which happened to be discussing the Karyu's victory over Godzilla. It displayed the quick interview of Miyasaka, in which he rapidly dropped their names. He was asked some curious questions, which obviously ticked him off causing him to hurriedly leave the scene. Hajime's mouth shifted into a smile as he realized they were officially heroes to the public. He jumped up and pumped his fist up in the air.

"Alright!" His eyes seemed to be aglow with a sense of pride at what they had accomplished. "We are officially heroes. Technically not super just yet, but we're close." His grin was contagious as even Kiriko and Yoshino allowed themselves to smile a bit in joy.

"I'm still not happy he leaked our names like that, "Kiriko replied, seating herself next to Yoshino. The lounge wasn't anything spectacular. The walls were a dull gray, every now and then displaying the logo of the CCI. Their sect didn't quite have an official name yet, being so newly created. Hajime came up with '_G-Graspers_' but the higher-ups had yet to decide on whether or not they would christen their team that. It had the usual amenities a home would have: a restroom, a kitchen fully stocked, the living area where the work-space and television set was, as well as a trio of beds for the three of them. The only way to gain access to their base of operations was an elevator which led up into the CCI headquarters in Osaka. Here, they could afford to rest up while the Karyu was receiving repairs at a CCI-JSDF hangar in Amagasaki. It had been damaged in its confrontation with Godzilla and was in desperate need of some touching up. The NT-20 armor had been smashed in on one side, a flaw in the ship that needed to be rectified as soon as problem. Not to mention the refueling it needed, as well as the resupply of missiles.

"Why wouldn't you? We're going to be one every news network. We're going to be acclaimed champions! We're going to have books written about us, movies made of us! Hell, we might even get a video game! 'Kaiju Killers, coming to a Playstation near you'!" Hajime plopped himself down onto the comfortable leather couch, a jet black. He placed his feet upon the table in front of him, combat boots and all. Neither of them had removed their uniforms. Navy blue was apparently the favorite color of those who designed them, as the jackets as well as the pants were both blue. There was hardly any alteration in the color scheme, except for white bracers around their wrists and the charcoal-colored Kevlar vest over their tops. Kiriko questioned why such a thing was necessary when one was battling giant monsters, but she did get a satisfying answer. She never did get fashion. Yoshino scratched at the orange patch on her right arm, emblazoned with a silhouette of the Karyu.

"I think I agree with the major. We were never meant to be thrust into the spotlight like this," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You girls are such a bore. I can't believe this, "Hajime cried, exasperated. They were soon to be the most famous people in Japan, and the response he was getting from his partners was very lackluster.

"What you _should_ be happy about is that we destroyed a menace for good, not obsessing over fame and other irrelevant things." There had always been friction between Kiriko and Hajime. Clashing personalities always lead to bickering. Hajime frowned slightly before returning his focus to the television, eager for more details about their standing amongst the media.

_It's so easy for him to be caught up in the excitement. He's never lost anybody._

Hajime never had to deal with losing somebody due to Godzilla's rampages. Yoshino and she were not so fortunate. Kiriko had been dealt the news last year, breaking down like a child when she realized she had lost her parents. That wasn't how things were supposed to work. They were supposed to be present when she graduated at the academy, when she got married, and for when she presented them with grandchildren. Now, such hopes had faded away, replaced with a cold determination to kill the beast responsible for so many deaths. As the life of her parents had been snuffed out, so had her eagerness to socialize with others, to integrate into society like the average person would. She only had one purpose, and that was…had been to kill Godzilla. Instead of feeling some form of joy, she still had the claws of melancholia wrapped around her heart.

_Is this what revenge felt like?_

Yoshino was quiet, eyes focused on the framed photograph in her hands, clutching it gently. She had an expression of distress upon her, moistness in her eyes. Kiriko already knew what it was. Yoshino was a recent widower. Her husband, Major Takuji, perished in Godzilla's assault on Tokyo last year. The loss had changed her even more-so then Kiriko, introverting her and causing her to be a shell of her former self. She was older than either Kiriko or Hajime, and wisdom was something she had plenty of. However, she was prone to periods of silence, and was reluctant to have a prolonged conversation, opting for quick and to the point statements. Her fingers caressed the picture of her lost partner slowly, as if he perhaps was still there to provide her the comfort she needed.

Getting up, Kiriko approached the lonesome medical expert and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. Yoshino tensed up at the contact, casting a glance behind her before relaxing.

"You ok, Lieutenant?" Why could she never just take a moment away from being the superior officer?

"Yeah…I'm fine Major. Just…remembering."

"I can understand your pain, Lieut-…Yoshino. But it's over. We've won."

"It doesn't feel like a victory. I still feel as empty as ever. Killing Godzilla won't bring him back or your parents either. Deaths answered with even more deaths. " Kiriko remained silent as Yoshino rubbed her eyes before standing up and heading out of sight into the sleeping quarters. The Major watched her go, confused.

"We did the right thing," she murmured. So why did it feel like such a pointless endeavor? Godzilla was dead. Yet, she was sure more monsters lurked out in the abyss. They would be called to action once more. Many more would be killed, whether intentionally or by accident. It began with Godzilla in 1954. A true force of nature, this Godzilla was a legendary beast whose power had been unmatched. The word got lucky when Serizawa used the Oxygen Destroyer to kill it. Decades had passed, and nothing even came close to that anomaly in human inventions. When the second Godzilla arrived, along with the alien dubbed 'Orga', the JSDF were powerless to stop either of the two. The two ended up fighting each other, with Godzilla coming out on top. As if to celebrate his victory, he torched Tokyo, absolutely decimating Japan's capital, taking the lives of any civilians or armed forces that had been unable to evacuate in time.

Yet, the truth was hard to escape. If Godzilla had not arrived, the abomination would have conquered Japan and possibly the world, if one had the courage to think that far ahead. In a way, Godzilla was their savior, yet also their conqueror. Was he truly an evil deity like his predecessor? Or was Godzilla simply an animal with his own motives, thrust into a world he was not ready for.

_Damnit Kiriko, get your head on straight. You can't be sympathizing with the goddamn thing. He killed your parents, he destroyed Tokyo, and he is finally gone._

"Major?"

"What is it, Lieutenant," she snapped at Hajime, perhaps more viciously then she had intended.

"Erm…nothing. You just kind of…spaced out there. Sorry."

"No, no. My apologies, I'm just on edge."

"Why should you be," he questioned, looking at her worriedly. "He is dead, Major. We gut the bastard."

"Yes…yes I know. It just feels like this isn't over."

_Outskirts of __Kitamatsu Village_

"This isn't a good idea."

"My ideas never seem to be, at first. Trust me."

"No, I know a good idea when I see one, and let me tell you, this is _not _a good one. At all. Nope!"

"Just relax, you're on edge," Yuki teased, poking him on the shoulder as he drove down the barren trail, the GPN van handling like a drunken mule. The equipment rattled in the back, creating a stressful environment.

"Yeah, you should really relax, "Io chided, gripping the shoulder of his seat.

"And why did we bring a child along," Robert exclaimed, still struggling to adapt to the driver-seat swap found common in the Far East.

"Because I am an intellectual, whose presence should always be required in situations like these," the nine-year old replied, oozing out cockiness. Robert grumbled something, forfeiting the argument.

"We should've at least told your father. He is going to kill me!" Emphasizing his point, Robert pretended to strangle himself with his free hand.

"Well, he won't find out."

"Right. Yuki, exactly why are you asking me to take you here?" Robert was frankly uncomfortable with what she was asking him to do, but how could he say no? He was tossed upside down on his head after the attack by those bugs and he was really just along for the ride, to put it bluntly. His best friend was gone, and he was left with these people, ranging from a scientist studying monsters, to an adventure-hungry photographer eager for the next big scoop. He was anxious to do something of value.  
"Simple. We find the cave, venture in just a teeny bit, and see what we find. We won't be long, I promise." Yuki was absolutely positive nothing would go wrong. At all. A fact that worried Robert immensely, but he shrugged before stopping the van.

"Here. It's through these woods." He opened the door and stepped down onto the filthy path. The morning sun began to creep out from behind the clouds, gracing the land with its light. The ambiance of the forest was quiet, a fact that perturbed the American. His eyes scanned the environment, his paranoia already jumping into overdrive. He eyed his reflection in the mirror, taking a moment to eye himself up. His hair was a mess, no longer gelled up. He rubbed the scratch on his right cheek, frowning at the slight sting of pain. He had managed to get a quick change of clothes from Io before they had set out from the CCI headquarters. Unfortunately, it had been a spare G-Grasper uniform, a tad dirtied and worn. He wasn't very sure where she had obtained the uniform, but he thought better than to ask. The girl was an imp for sure. He removed his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth from his pocket before placing them back on.

"I look like a damn Power Ranger."

"You mean like Sentai?"

"What is that," Robert questioned, looking at Yuki as she came around the van. She was wearing a striped long sleeve shirt, with faded pink and ivory stripes. She wore denim jeans, along with athletic shoes of a brand Robert wasn't quite familiar with. Adorned around her neck was her trusty camera, along with a backpack filled with who-knows-what. Io quickly followed suit, wearing something similar in style to Yuki, albeit with a green shirt adorned with some cartoon character. Probably from some anime, Robert presumed.

"It's what Power Rangers was based off of. You know, we get our daily dosage of giant robots and monsters on television too."

"Yeah? You would think you'd get enough of that in real life." He pointed in the direction where he had fled from, an event that seemed like ages ago. Yuki nodded, and started walking, followed by Io. Robert took a moment to give his surroundings one more check. He closed his eyes and allowed the events that transpired a day or so replay again in his head. He realized this was a mistake and shook his head free from thoughts of the past. He glanced down the road, trying to wonder how close they were to the spot where Io's aunt had been savagely mauled. An innocent taken far too soon from this world, much like Tony had been. He coughed and rubbed his eyes, fighting back the emotion that was threatening to overtake him. Io was strong. She hadn't mentioned at all what had happened since her breakdown. Robert was about to have his fourth. He gritted his teeth and jogged ahead to catch up with Yuki and Io.

"So this is it?"

"Yeah…this is it," Robert replied, staring into the entrance of the mine, the traumatic memories flooding back into his mind. Yuki crouched down, examining something on the ground.

"What do you see, "Io inquired, squatting down next to her.

"I see something that shouldn't be here." She pointed at strange tracks in the dirt. Yuki couldn't quite put a finger on it as to what it reminded her of. It was a trail of 'dots' in the sand, with a small imprint in the dirt in front of every circular step.

"Looks insect-like in appearance," Io replied. She knew her stuff, but it helped to have seen the bug that these tracks belong to up close. Something she wished she had never encountered. Yuki took a quick snapshot of it before standing up.

"Flashlight?" Yuki looked over her shoulder and grabbed the flashlight Robert had fished out of his pocket.

"Onwards!" Yuki marched forward, flashlight and camera in hand. Robert and Io looked at each other, sighed and followed suit.


	11. Reawakening

Sorry for the delay. Chapter ended up being longer than I had envisioned. Hopefully, this one will satisfy those who were craving some monster interaction. The finale is just getting started.

**Reawakening**

The trio stalked downwards into the mine, the morning light beginning to grow fainter and fainter as they delved deeper into the cavern. Yuki traced the path with the flashlight, eagerly analyzing the tracks that littered the floor and the ceiling once they looked upwards. How many of these insects there were could not be estimated, but there must've been hundreds of them, all equipped with talons on their appendages that left marks in the stone and dirt, reminding all whose territory they were in. Ebony slime littered the floor, with Robert being unfortunate enough to step in a pile of it.

"Oh, you've got to be…" He planted his boot against the wall of the shaft, grumbling as he tried to scrape it off, but the muck clung to his boot tightly. He begrudgingly gave up and they resumed their journey into the mine. It was all a case of déjà vu for the American, as he retraced his steps, murmuring to himself as he took the lead.

"You remember the way," Yuki inquired, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah…just a couple more turns." His mind was calculating all the possible ends they could meet if the Meganula were indeed present in the mine shaft, each one as gruesome as the last. He led the way, eyeing the two sets of human footprints that guided them ahead. He refused to acknowledge that only one set made it to the exit. The tour ended abruptly ended at the remnants of the destroyed obsidian colored wall. The shards of the blockade littered the floor, along with chunks of goop and other remnants of something Robert did not want to imagine. He wasn't sure whether the mere sight of it was what made him nauseous, or whether it was the repulsive smell that nearly made him lose his breakfast. His face noticeably turned pale and he had to take a step back, an arm across his nostrils to attempt to block off the stench.

"Oh, come on Robert. It's not _that_ bad," Io teased.

"You're kidding me. If I do that, I'll lose it all over the ground. Maybe even on your shoes too!" Io shook her head before jogging ahead of him. He reached a hand out to stop her but she quickly disappeared ahead.

"Watch out for the pit in the center!" There was no sign of acknowledgement as she clicked on her own personal flashlight, much smaller than the one Robert currently wielded, and hurriedly moved into the chamber where the Meganulon were first encountered by human kind.

"Adventurous, isn't she?"

"She definitely gets it from her father." Yuki and Robert strode ahead beside each-other. Io could be seen off in the distance, examining the structure of the ancient chamber, bringing to mind a miniature scientist at work. She removed the backpack she had slung on her back; a 'GPN' logo stitched onto the back, and dropped it onto the ground. She dug into it, yanking out what appeared to be a lantern of sorts. With a flick of a switch, neon blue light bathed the once dark chamber and allowed them to see every inch of the underground lair. The pods that Robert had seen before still littered the walls, the black juices still polluting the floor. The former inhabitants of these cocoons were nowhere to be seen. Io quickly equipped a pair of latex gloves before grasping a dropper as well as a test tube of sorts. The eight-year old, a fact that still stunned Robert and Yuki, was already procuring samples of the liquid for further research. With that task being done, she set it inside a small canister and stuffed it back into her bag, before pulling out a cheap, disposable camera. Repeated clicks filled the chamber as she went about photographing evidence that would prove the existence of the prehistoric insects.

"She's a child prodigy," Robert remarked, absolutely in awe at what she was doing, and the pace at which she worked.

"It really is amazing. She's something special." Yuki followed her American guide as he walked towards the center of the cavern, stopping behind him as he abruptly halted at the mouth of the tunnel leading towards the core. He flashed his light downwards, making sure there weren't any unfriendly animals awaiting them in the darkness. He directed the light at the edge of the crevice, and his eyes caught sight of something that would help ease their exploration.

"It looks like we can clamber down from over there, Yuki." He walked around to the other side, setting down his light. He carefully crouched down and lowered his right leg down over the edge, feeling out for an outstretched rock to rest his foot on. Finding it, he sighed loudly, his heart beating rapidly and sweat began to pour down his brow. Yuki knelt beside him, patting him on the shoulder

"You alright, Robert? I mean, we can find another way. Perhaps there's rope in the van."

"No, no, I got this. I'm just worried about the possibility of plunging to my death."

"It's not _too_ bad of a drop, you know."

"Oh trust me, it is," he replied, frowning as bad memories once again plagued his mind.

"I see. Well, do you want me to go first then?"

"Who would be there to catch you, then, if you fall," Robert replied, beginning to descend into the pit with a smirk on his face.

"I think you're underestimating me, Mr. Kennedy." Yuki heard a curse in response followed by a thud. She looked at Io, alarmed, but the girl was very involved in her work at the moment. She shouted down, hoping that the man hadn't severely hurt himself.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Just…landed on my ass." Yuki chuckled before she herself made the trek downwards, dropping off the flashlight to the awaiting, and bruised, hands of her compatriot. He barely caught it, fumbling with it before shining it on her form climbing down the rock wall at a much more faster and graceful pace than he had. She managed a perfect descent, finally touching down on the lower level. His eyes focused in on more than just her finish, but Yuki turned around, forcing Robert to redirect his eyes.

"Well, this is it. If they're here, we take some pictures, grab Io, and get out of here."

"And after that?"

"Isn't it obvious? We'll call in the JSDF and get them to exterminate them. I'll be the wonderful investigative reporter who found their lair, and managed to save Kitamatsu. With the help of Shinoda's daughter and my American sidekick, of course." She playfully punched Robert before snatching the flashlight from him

"You make it sound so easy, Yuki."

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Shinoda stood beside the prone form of the winged reptile dubbed 'Radon' by Kamura. Since the original analysis of Radon, the research crew had not found much use for the body of the pteranodon. Other than the initial awe at discovering a prehistoric reptile, most of the people who had been assigned to obtain any useful information or items form the corpse had been pulled out. Soon, a covert team would be sent out to eradicate al evidence of Radon. The world needn't know how easily a new monster had arrived in the world. What if there were other dormant beasts lying in wait? Godzilla had been bad enough; the globe was not ready to be thrown into a panic due to the potential of there being dozens of dinosaurs and the like awaiting to retake the earth.

It sounded like the cheesy plot of a monster movie.

"You were a victim… not ready for this time. Godzilla was created out of man's carelessness. What spawned you? Were you always like this? Or did we somehow alter you as well." Yuji was an ant compared to the magnificent flying creature, which lay still as Shinoda openly spoke to it, as if the reptile could understand and hear him.

"A unique, lost creature brought down by another just like it…" He sighed, hands thrust deep into the pockets of his jeans. Violence seemed to be the force that moved everything in this world. The death of Radon was no different. He was outmatched by the force of nature mankind had created. The nuclear leviathan, responsible for countless deaths, had joined his ancient adversary in death's embrace thanks to the efforts of the Karyu. Man had finally conquered the giants of the world.

"You truly are spectacular, Radon. I cannot imagine what it must've been like to be all alone, for millennia. To finally awaken, only to be killed by a monster who was once very much like you. It's terrible." Shinoda's hand patted the neck of Radon, feeling the surprisingly soft, leathery skin that covered the beast's body.

"I am sorry." He gazed once more at the fallen animal, before turning his back. The majority of the guards had already left the premises. Only one jeep remained, in which Shigeru and an armed driver awaited his return. Before he got too far away from Radon, he stopped in his tracks as he heard something that startled him. He swiftly turned around, searching for the source of the noise. He found it; it was a fallen Geiger counter hidden in the grass. Whoever was responsible for loading the equipment into the trucks had forgotten this gem. Now, it was beginning to hum to life, the intensity of its clicking increasing every second. Shinoda was confused as he tried to discern what was triggering its sensor. The Geiger's sounds became akin to screeches from a raptor, before Shinoda finally caught on to what was the cause.

Radon's body had begun to glow. Dimly at first; a faint amethyst aura surrounded the body of the pteranodon. Yuji gasped in alarm and began to backpedal away from the spectacle. Half of him was afraid, yet the other was fascinated. The radioactivity of Radon was increasing at an unbelievable rate. The light that covered Radon lit up the forest, no doubt something that one could see from miles around. Upon closer inspection, Shinoda noticed that the numerous abrasions and wounds covering Radon's body began to seal up on their own, as if nothing had ever happened to the winged wonder.

"My God…" Shinoda covered his eyes with his hand as the flare of purple light was blinding, almost as if he was peering at the sun itself. Daring a peek, he saw the light seem to drift towards the crests that rested atop Radon's skull. With a muted explosion, the energy flowed into the bony peaks perched on Radon's skull and seemingly were absorbed by the reptile. Shinoda fell to the ground, astounded. The Geiger counter continued to screech, still registering radioactivity in the area. The sound of feet trampling the grass reached Yuji's ears and he turned around to see Shigeru Kamura and a soldier who had been assigned to assure their safety.

"What the hell was that light, Shinoda?"

"It was…Radon!" Shinoda was helped up by the pteranodon expert, brushing himself off in the process.

"We need to get out of here, Mr. Kamura. It isn't safe," warned the soldier.

"Right. Shinoda, let us go."

"Wait! Listen!" The two men behind him followed his order, a bit confused as to the reasoning behind his proclamation. Yuji took a step forward, a frightened look drawn upon his face.

_Lub-dub…lub-dub_

"It's…alive!" As if on cue, the pterandon's eyes snapped open, revealing fiery red orbs that rapidly blinked, looking around. With a cry, the ancient beast focused his attention on the three miniature figures standing, petrified as what was once dead had now come alive. 'Radon' hissed, studying the strange new creatures before him. One brought something up and pointed it at the mighty creature, but one of the tiny things stopped him from doing whatever it was he had planned to do. The Duke of the Skies opened his beak and released a terrifying cry, launching the three insignificant animals away from his presence. Using the talons on the edge of his wings, he clumsily got back onto his two feet. The memory of what had occurred to him earlier was fuzzy at best, and it would take some time to truly recover what had been lost due to his time amongst the dead. He looked over his body, chirping as he realized the pain he had once felt had been treated; the methods currently unknown to him. He grew confused, yet intrigued as he now realized that, all throughout his scaled body, scarlet lines pulsated mystically, adding a fierce image to a predator who, to be honest, did not need anything more intimidating added to him. His leathery blue membranes on his wings were traced with the same red lines, which glowed even more brightly then the ones coating his body. He let out a screech, letting the world know of his return to life, and began to flap his large wings, flinging the three humans below his feet away from his site.

Rodan, dubbed 'Radon' by the scientists, took to the skies, where he ruled. For now.

"It's dead, Yuki." Robert gave the corpse of the Meganula a strong kick, sending the corpse flying into the wall of the tunnel. He frowned and stared at it, unsatisfied with his meek attempt at vengeance. Yuki strolled over to the dead insect, removing her specialized, and quite expensive, camera from its pouch that had been secured around her waist, and snapped a few pictures of it. She smiled, growing more ecstatic about her growing collection of valuable photographs.

"How long do you think this tunnel runs?"

"I don't know. Could go all the way to the core. You think?"

"Highly unlikely." Yuki and Robert continued their trek deeper into the decrepit tunnel. They weren't quite sure how long it had been since they'd left Io alone to her work. The eight year old scientist, an astounding fact, was alerted to their departure and assured them she'd be fine alone.

_"I'm not afraid of the dark, if that's what you two are thinking. I can handle myself."_

Yuki smirked; you could really appreciate the girl's spunk. Robert groaned as the tunnel began to condense on itself, gradually shrinking the available room they had to maneuver.

"Oh man, you've got to be kidding me," Robert whined, his eyes darting all around them.

"What are you, claustrophobic?"

"Yes!" Yuki blinked, assuming he'd be joking or something, yet the seriousness written upon his face was very sincere.

"Well, if you'd rather wait back there-"

"No, I'll just…I'll be fine, ok?" Robert wasn't planning on looking like a wimp in front of this woman, even if the whole 'investigating murderous insects' would be a hell of a reason to chicken out.

"I appreciate you sticking it out."

"Little too far along to back out," Robert replied, letting out a nervous chuckle. The hair on the back of his neck began to rise, a warning system all humans seem to have when things were about to go awry.

"I suppose so. Do you hear that?" The two stopped for a moment, intent on honing in on the source of the mysterious sounds. It sounded like…rhythmic clicking. It was clearly not human. Though, if one could personify it, it would almost sound like…chanting.

"You don't think it's-"

"Only one way to find out!

"Yuki! Damnit!" Robert snuck after Yuki, who was now crouching down to better acclimate herself to the narrow passage. The reluctant follower couldn't complain about the view, but he surely could find something to nitpick in the fact that they were heading towards a possible doom at the hands of flesh-eating monsters!

"Hold up," Yuki whispered. Robert bumped into Yuki from behind, eliciting a curse from the both of them.

"Sorry, sorry."

"It's fine. Check it out." Mr. Kennedy looked over her shoulder and let out an audible gasp. Before them was an incredibly massive catacomb of sorts. The melody of trickling water reached their ears, not quite drowning out the racket of the insect-like clicks. A crevice in the ceiling brought down sunlight from above, illuminating the entirety of the cavern. How far down were they?

The two were looking out from the exit to the passageway, which ended abruptly into this massive area. They were quite a ways up, which didn't provide comfort to a man who was not only claustrophobic but acrophobic as well. The very thought of falling to his death made him nauseous. A body of water circled a very large rock formation in the center of the antechamber. Neither could discern where the water had come from, but it was possibly from an underground reservoir. Atop the island of stone was a flattened plateau, in which lay a gigantic black pod. It was almost exactly like the ones Robert had saw in his prior expedition into the mine. The only difference was this one had neon purple patterns drawn all along its surprisingly smooth surface, or at least, what bit of the outside of it could be seen underneath the hundreds of Meganula, their eerie song echoing all throughout the cavern. The insane risk that Yuki had put them in by shining the light into their lair seemed to have no consequence, as they paid no heed. Their attention was on the husk before them. Their legs clung to the capsule, but what was strange was how still they were. The only noticeable movement on their bodies was the slight twitches of their mandibles as they produced the strange chatter that filled the air.

"What the hell are they doing," Robert questioned, pointing at the mass of insects. What was most interesting was that each and every one of the prehistoric dragonflies had the stinger on the end of their tail embedded deep within the giant pod. Their syringe-like weapons were glowing vibrant orange, yet as time passed, the light began to gradually fade away. The egg or whatever it was began to glow itself as well as increase in size until it was nearly hanging off the edge of the plate of rock it lay on.

"It looks like they're…giving it energy? They used Godzilla to siphon away his life force, or radioactive energy, to give it to this thing?" Robert's mind ticked away like clockwork, before finally settling on a reasonable conclusion. Or, as reasonable as one can be when trying to solve the mystery of giant monsters.

"My God…think about it. The Meganula were just drones. Hunters on the lookout for food. They found it in Godzilla, and now have returned to give it to the-"

"Queen," Yuki said, finishing his revelation. With one deafening shriek, the Meganula grew silent. All light that exuded from their abdomens and stingers had been extinguished, now finding a home within the pod. Their eyes grew dim and, by the dozen, the Meganula began to fall off of the husk. It was sickening to watch; lives being snuffed out so quickly, and all voluntarily. The bugs had given their lives to fuel their queen's. The only question was what the leader of the Meganula would look like.

"We need to go. Now."

"Not until I get some quick pictures, Robert!" Robert groaned, as Yuki began to record the scene via several pictures. Once the Meganula had all fallen off, dead as can be, the chrysalis began to shudder. The blazing light within the capsule began to reach its peak until cracks began to appear in the hull. Ooze, a disgusting oil color, seeped out of the holes. Suddenly, the egg shattered entirely, sending fragments shooting into the air.

"Get back, Yuki!" A chip was sailing in their general direction, seemingly with murderous intent. It barely missed, slamming directly under the mouth. The blunt force shook the tunnel violently, pieces of rock dropping from the ceiling. One fell directly onto Robert's shoulder, who grunted in pain. Yuki let out a scream as her foot slipped off the edge, into open air. The rest of her body soon began to follow, her yell Robert's eyes widened and darted forward, grunting as he landed on his stomach. He grasped Yuki's outstretched hand, hoping she could handle a bit of pain. He groaned as gravity began its assault, tugging at Yuki's dangling form.

"I've got you, just hang on," Robert bellowed, gritting his teeth as, with his free hand, he struggled to find something to grip to ease in pulling her up. In doing so, his eyes wandered to the scene unfolding before them. Everything seemed to slow to a stop; time ceased to exist except for the horrific yet fascinating event taking place on the plateau underneath. The pod was gone; the remnants littering the rocky formations and drifting in the circular creek.

The Queen of the Insects. A title made up on the spot, yet seemed so fitting to the beast that stood in the center of the chamber. The insect's body was a pleasant topaz, ironic considering its…her identity. All along its body, the odd spike or irregular armored plate jutted out, giving off a very intimidating presence. She was massive, most likely the same size than the Karyu. Four armored legs ending in two claws twitched randomly, being stretched out than flexed. The Meganula queen could easily lift the Karyu with those muscular limbs. The other two appendages were even scarier. They were pincers of sorts, reminiscent of those of a crab. Oddly enough, the way the 'arms' were structured, forced the larger-side to face downward. Clearly, they were not used for grabbing. Their true purpose was revealed upon closer inspection, as the bottom portion was serrated, as if several sharks' teeth had been arranged neatly in a row on each claw. They were akin to cleavers, designed by Mother Nature for decapitations and mutilations. The extensive tail was perhaps the most frightening part. Spines ran down the length of it, until it ended with a blade-like stinger, curving downward, a reverse of what a scorpion's would typically look like. It was the same color as the rest of the maleficent being, though it no doubt had the same capabilities of the Meganulas'. The tail twitched, swinging to and fro, as if hungry for something to stab. Upon the back of the Meganula queen, a diamond-shaped armor piece seemed to be attached to the back of the thorax. Its usage was uncertain at this time. Robert groaned as Yuki's hold on his hand tightened. His left hand finally found a cone-shaped rock extending out from the ground. He wrapped his hand around it, ignoring the rough texture. He squeezed it, his boots digging into the earth in an attempt to gain some leverage. Finally, with a roar, he lifted Yuki up, adrenaline and fear fueling his actions. She quickly grabbed onto the side of the opening, her shoes kicking at the side of the cavern, seeking a foothold of sorts. Robert quickly aided her, pulling her further upwards until she was completely over inside the tunnel. She turned towards Robert, whose heavy breathing was the only noise in the area. She studied his face for a moment, before his eyes widened and pointed at what was behind them. The shaken photographer turned around and gasped.

The Queen was staring straight at them. The face of the monarch was absolutely hideous. Protuberances akin to warts covered the visage of the primordial dragonfly. Tiny stalks, presumably antennae of sorts, wiggled in the spotlight. A beak stuck outwards, then crooking downwards, very much like a hook. It looked like a witch's nose. Beneath it, a frightening mouth filled to the brim with jagged teeth opened and shut, as if it hungered for flesh between the daggers in its maw. On each side of her head were dozens emerald orbs, compound eyes that were uncanny to the two amateur adventurers. Staring into them was like staring into a mist of pestilence, of death. Many had seen their end reflected in those cold, emotionless spheres.

Yuki, hands shaking violently, raised her camera up; momentarily surprised it had survived the earlier scare. Staring at the giant dragonfly, she snapped a picture, the flash brief yet intense. This was it; this was how they would go.

The Meganula Queen seemed to _smile_, her vile mouth twisting into a grin of sort. She knew they were there the whole time. Robert and Yuki gaped in horror, prepared for death

Releasing a scream, announcing her revival into this new age, the queen raised an arm upwards and slammed it into the ceiling, carving up the rock as if it were the flesh of her foes. Robert and Yuki rose to their feet, unnerved by the shriek but thankful for the opportunity to live. The two scurried back the way they came at a feverish pace. The world had a new enemy to face.

The ancient insect continued to cut into the earth, creating a tunnel of her own as she clambered up through the layers of the planet. Digging was not exactly her specialty, but she knew how to get free of her underground lair. Within minutes, the ground above shook then was violently ripped asunder as the insect burst out from the earth. The Queen crawled out, leveling trees down and raining down dirt and stone upon the forest.

Now, the queen could reveal her most prized possessions. The carapace on her back now had its purpose revealed as, slowly, brilliant green wings began to slide out from under their shield. They drifted down towards the tail, beautiful to gaze at, as if one was looking at the windows of a church. One wing shot out to the left, and the other to the right. Both were incredibly long, noticeably more so than the dragonfly's body. They truly were the queen's most divine regalia. With a banshee-like wail, the Queen flapped her wings, building up speed until they were but a blur in motion, reaching super-sonic speeds. The trees remaining, as well as any unfortunate animals, were thrown about violently as if tornados had been summoned into the area. She zoomed upwards into the sky, tail curled protectively underneath her abdomen. Now, it was time to feed. Feed on the populace of this new land, and to usher in a new generation of her kin.

Megaguirus had returned.

* * *

For Rodan's look, I tried to go for the more classic Showa look. Hopefully, I conveyed that in this chapter as well as the other.  
For Megaguirus, I wanted a change, so I took some inspiration from the concept art of GxM. I tried to illustrate that; hopefully you can all see it too. I could always improve my descriptions.

As always, read and review and thank you!


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